Dear Editor, On Thursday, May 23, the General Secretary of the PPP and Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, prefaced his weekly propaganda avalanche with an explanation as to why he has to address every matter under the heavens, including aspects of people`s personal lives (character assassinations). On one hand, as General Secretary of the governing party, democratic centralism bequeaths him the ultimate authority and responsibility for everything, unless he decides otherwise. While on the other hand, he seeks to counter the purported falsehoods (his fabrications) of those opposed to his government, less they be taken for the truth (lies repeated over and over are soon taken to be the truth) according to him. He then proceeded to do exactly what he accused others of, that is to regale the press conference with half-truths and outright lies, many of which he would have iterated at previous press conferences. On the eve of the visit of Congressman Jackson of the Black Caucus of the United States of America House of Representa-tives, IDPADA-G was targeted with a repeat dose of his falsehoods/lies. First, he contended that the Rastafarian community and some forum of the African Guyanese community, in 2018, fingered IDPADA-G for elitism and neglect of the African Guyanese community. Interest-ingly, he had to hark back to 2018 about an organization that has grown from 37 in number in 2018 to 78 at present (IDPADA-G is obviously doing something right to have sustained its existence and growth, which is aligned to its mission), including Rastafari organizations, barring the then leadership of one, which assumed an anti-PNC and pro-PPP posture. IDPADA-G has since held free and fair elections twice, in addition to the receipt of unqualified annual audits as required by the Company`s Act, and a clean bill of health from an investigative audit that was ordered, and conducted, by the Ministry of Finance`s Investigative Audit Unit. Not to mention that there was never a forum of IDPADA-G that called for its dismantling, but for a rogue group, most of whom were not constituents of IDPADA-G, objecting to IDPADA-G`s transparent employment process, in an attempt to disrupt the first annual general meeting (a similar act perpetuated against the GPSU). They subsequently issued a call for the dismantling of IDPADA-G and became Jagdeo`s point of reference, in the African Guyanese community, in his attempt to discredit IDPADA-G. No wonder in recent times, efforts have been made to establish at least four front organizations in the Government`s attempt to divide and rule the African Guyanese community. Alas, IDPADA-G, deprived of the state`s subvention, has keep its doors open; continues to provide valuable voluntary service to the community through its coordinating council members, who were maliciously accused of syphoning off the funds, and others, including its CEO, although the ‘so-called’ highly paid professional staff are no longer in the employ of IDPADA-G for close to two years. Second, he continues to question the rental of Corbin`s building where the secretariat was previously located. In that regard, he feebly suggests that there is a conflict of interest because Corbin and Alexander, IDPADA-G duly elected chairman, are colleague commissioners of GECOM. Without an iota of evidence, and in complete ignorance in relation to the ethical standards that define a conflict of interest, he equates IDPADA-G`s operations to the normal practices of those associated with his government, a la the award of contracts to friends, family and favourites as exemplified by the findings in relation to the contract awarded to Tepui Group Inc.. As for his contention that IDPADA-G was established to campaign for the PNCR, the investigative audit ordered by his government did not, and could unearth, any activity or funding related to the PNCR, since there was none. In the meanwhile, while being apolitical, IDPADA-G`s programmes and the UN`s declared decade are intended to benefit the people of African descent, the PNCR`s constituency, in the main. The decade was declared for the people of African descent. The PNCR, for whatever reasons gets the majority of its votes from that community. There is therefore a natural conflation of interest that requires no collaboration. Jagdeo is Goebbelian at best, in his attempt to discredit IDPADA-G, and validate his Government`s contention that the Guyanese of African descent do not need special attention (equitable attention). The UN expressly declared the decade as an endeavour to provide a period, and opportunity, for the people of African descent to overcome the historical injustices; lack of recognition; and underdevelopment that plague them and can only be overcome by addressing the inherited oppressive institutional and legal frameworks, in addition to the provision of equitable cushioning. In that regard, the state`s role is central, a role that our state refuses to acknowledge. Yours truly, Vincent Alexander Chairperson IDPADA-G
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