Stella Says…Khemraj, Khemraj, Khemraj

by Stella Ramsaroop

(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 12 November 2006)

Just like the AFC’s party leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, knew that I would have to write something about his party’s current parliament seat controversy, I knew he would probably have something to say about my reaction. Don’t you just hate it when life becomes so predictable?

In a letter to the Editor from Khemraj last Thursday entitled, “Avoid the Ramoutarian dialectic, Stella,” he said that he does not think I ever understood his reasons for refusing to relinquish the seats he and his cohorts nabbed from other political parties while forming the baby AFC.

In truth, I do know his reasoning, but I have always found it to be lacking enough substance to cause the newbie party to position itself for early scandal and in the process make the people wonder about whether they could trust the AFC or if it was just like the rest of Guyana’s political parties.

In the long run, it seems time has proven that I was right. If they had simply risen above the nastiness of Guyana politics and set a new standard for such issues, they may not have to fight so hard for a seat that is rightfully theirs today.

Khemraj, Khemraj, Khemraj. If only you had listened to me from the start, then you might have been able to save yourself a lot of trouble today.

This situation is much like when I suggested that you should campaign with a clean-shaven face. You did not listen to that suggestion either and consequently you brought very little votes from the very same demography you fought so hard to continue representing.

The AFC did fairly well in the elections, but if it had relinquished those seats to set a higher standard and avoid a scandalous appearance, and if you had shaven your face, I bet your party could have easily appealed to the nearly third of Guyana’s citizens who just stayed home on Election Day.

I do have good news though, Khemraj, we do agree on two items. You mentioned in your letter that cheese and chalk are different; therefore, I decided to put your statement to the test and indeed, the two items are very different. I tasted some chalk and it was yucky. Then I tried to write on a chalkboard with some cheese, which was very messy.

Khemraj, you also said Ramoutarian dialect, “clouds out sense, disseminates nonsense, and is the reason for so much unreason.” I could not agree with you more, dear friend. Moreover, Ramoutarian dialect sounds like some sort of nasty, incurable disease.

I feel as a friend that I must ask if it is it possible that you caught this disease while hanging around Freedom House. Don’t get upset now, I just feel that it is better to have an early intervention now and get you cured before the AFC begins sounding too much like the PPP.

At least you have the legal mumbo jumbo to toss about. The PPP only had Mr. MBA to twist reality into something that more resembles a child’s storybook. Sigh, I do miss those days. But it seems as if you are going to give me plenty of fun times in the next five years, Khemraj.

In fact, it might be more fun to deal with a tightly-wound legal type like yourself than someone like Smart and Sharp Robert, who lived in a whole other dimension of reality.

Lest we forget those who really matter, tell me Khemraj, with all of the bickering going on between Guyana’s various parties, has the AFC (or anyone else) been able to accomplish anything substantial for the people of Guyana yet? What exactly is the AFC doing for Guyana right now? What plans does it have for the next year?

By the way, have you shaved that beard off yet?

Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com