Forever, it seems that Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo stood unchallenged in his footprints across Guyana. Came Dr. Randy Persaud and knocked him off that pedestal, which Pres. Ali couldn’t think of doing, let alone touch. As with many other Guyanese, I’ve had no meeting, no speaking, with Dr. Persaud. No need to, and he sure wouldn’t want to do so. Still, I give a man his jacket, with glistening epaulets properly aligned, salutes following.
What is now engaged in, is not to put Dr. Jagdeo down, but to put him in his rightful place, and give Dr. Persaud his due. First, the vice president’s doctorate is honorary, Dr. Persaud’s is genuine sheepskin. No doubts about his credentials, nor their places of issue. Dr. Jagdeo casts a long shadow across Guyana and Guyanese life: Vice President, de facto president (fleecy nowadays), party General Secretary, oil czar, chief national policymaker, press master, and master PPP propagandist. This is not about stirring competition, merely presenting the respective offices that the two PPP luminaries hold, and let others make the comparison. Perhaps, they should start thinking that Dr. Persaud is the best candidate for president in 2030. He has luggage, yes; but no known excess baggage. Time for the matchup.
Dr. Persaud is Advisor to the president. That alone renders Vice President Jagdeo’s self-appointed role as chief national policymaker all but wasted effort (if any), ready for the garbage chute. What policy? And what part of Jagdeo makes them? With a Randy Persaud whispering words of advice (and endearment) to Guyana’s head of state, who needs Jagdeo and his fantasies about policymaking? He must have come up with that title to give himself a raise. Dr. Jagdeo is general secretary of the PPP, which Dr. Ali would like to have when his presidential reign expires (reign not rule), but Dr. Persaud is now Pro Chancellor of the University of Guyana. Dr. Jagdeo controls the PPP armies on the street, just ask Azruddin Mohamed. And he also has some not inconsiderable reach and weight with the PPP goings on and rantings on the hard-bitten streets of social media. Just ask me. Whatever the strengths of Dr. Jagdeo, Dr. Persaud does him one better. As UG Pro Chancellor he controls the minds of young Guyanese and drives the fear of god in all those older ones who brainwash the younger ones. I take back brainwash and substitute educate. Pardon me, please.
One man controls the muscle, the other is positioned to control minds. So, who is the bigger man in this town? Bigger does not necessarily mean better, but in the interests of full transparency the thought stirs. Dr. Jagdeo is the Guyana premier oilman. But Dr. Persaud holds the post of Director of the National Defense Institute. There are no two ways about it. But no strong national defense, and not one drop of that oil is touched. Guyanese get to make up their minds as Randy Persaud, and about his frontrunner position from now for 2030, which is just around the corner, not too far past Xmas. Regardless of whether a sufficient number of PNC or WIN people jump ship and land on the PPP side of the parliamentary dockside, to facilitate a two-thirds majority and make Jagdeo drool about a third term, I think that Dr. Randy Persaud could do more for Guyana, given the multiple posts he owns and controls. Try these little wayside snippets.
Skipper Jagdeo is a Thursday afternoon speaker; a mean-mouthed, poison-tongued, show-boater. Professor Persaud is a writer. A speaker has the power of a rabblerouser, rumormonger, scaremonger, and fishmonger. A writer has the power of the pen, before which the swords of armies transform into plastic spoons and rubber toy forks. I think that Bharrat Jagdeo recognized the writing on the wall, which is why he took that extended sabbatical. I always laud a man who knows his limitations. He should make that sabbatical permanent, so he gets to visit China, spend some of his hard-earned millions. In contrast, I’m clueless on how Dr. Persaud finds the time to deliver on all his crucial roles. If he cannot find the time to do the jobs, then how will he ever get the time to send the billions that he makes from his half a dozen plus assignments. Maybe, what isn’t pro bono, he will donate to charity. I remind him of that truism: don’t gain the world and lose mind, then footing. By the way, what does a Pro Chancellor do? Are there any duties?
Having said all this, I trust that he still sees me as friend, fellow street runner, and worker in the noblest of causes. For country and countryfolk.
