Citizens must hold President and Ministers accountable and demand highest standards of conduct and decorum

Dear Editor,

I have noticed a desperate attempt to defend the strange action of the President (President Ali’s engagement in a cultural performance does not trivialise his office/ SN/8/2024) It is clear that, Alfonso De Armas attempted to downplay the worrying behaviour of the president of Guyana at the last PPP/C party congress. However, as a citizen of this great country, I feel compelled to address the flawed arguments presented in the letter and highlight the serious implications of the President’s conduct on the national image of our country.

First, the attempt, by this gentleman, to characterise the President’s attempt to dress and dance like Michael Jackson as “… simple cultural expression …”, in paragraph 1 of his letter, is worryingly misguided. In fact, his attempt to dumb-down that sorry behaviour suggests that even he is not comfortable with seeing it for what it is- unseeming conduct of the president. Whilst cultural expression is indeed important and should be celebrated, it must be done in a manner that upholds the dignity and decorum of the presidential office.

It is a very simple matter, would Alfonso De Armas accept the Brigadier of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) performing a similar act as the one by the President, at one of his military or other conferences? Or would he be happy and applaud the Chancellor of the Judiciary or the Chief Justice if they were to attempt iconic moves of Michael Jackson or any other celebrity, for that matter, at a conference or convention in any part of this country? The answer is plainly no!

Yet, De Armas wants us, decent- minded Guyanese, to accept without question or fault, the strange and unpresidential behaviour of President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and Commander- in- Chief of the Arm Forces of Guyana.

Also, Guyanese, who take pride in the intellectual brilliance and good conduct of their high public officials, would be reasonably and justifiably concerned with the heads of our Judiciary (a Co- equal Branch of Government) masquerading themselves in public. But, De Armas wants us to gleefully accept the outrageous actions of the head of the Executive Branch of Government.

Perhaps, such classless actions by political leaders, as the one demonstrated by the president, might have contributed to the way a former President of a 1^st world country described developing countries such as ours (The Guardian/ 13/01/2018).

The President of Guyana holds a position of immense responsibility and power, that affect the lives of all citizens. Therefore, his actions are subject to scrutiny and interpretation both at the local and internationally.

More, the letter’s assertion that criticism of the President’s behaviour is an attempt by the opposition to distract from alleged election rigging is both unfounded and irresponsible. This is an old political trick used by the PPP/C to fool unsuspecting citizens into thinking that, that party is a group of Puritans. Not so. A look at the historicity of that party would reveal shocking stories. Nevertheless, it is essential to distinguish between legitimate political discourse and baseless accusations intended to deflect attention from genuine concerns about good governance and leadership.

Finally, the impact of the President’s conduct on the national image of our country cannot be overstated. In this global village where perceptions matter, the behaviour of leaders reflects on their personal integrity, in particular, and on the reputation of our nation, in general. Perhaps, this is the reason why we have not witnessed such unbecoming behaviour from any other President or Prime Minister in the Caribbean, or Latin America. In fact, none of our past presidents, or prime ministers, including those from his own party, of this country has ever made themselves such a sad public spectacle; President Ali’s actions are pitifully unprecedented. The President’s actions at the party congress risked undermining the seriousness and professionalism associated with the office of the presidency, potentially damaging Guyana’s credibility on the international stage.

Again, I encourage all of our citizens to hold the President and his Ministers accountable and demand the highest standards of conduct and decorum form those entrusted with public office. It is not a matter of political allegiance but rather a matter of principle and respect for institutions that form the foundation of our democracy.

Yours truly,

Roysdale Forde, S.C. M.P.