If you keep telling a lie you may eventually believe it

Dear Editor,

The public is apprehensive of President David Granger’s return from what seems like a pattern in a migratory cycle of five years to the Fourth Estate (the media).

Will his return have the effect of his last cycle in 2015? In his column of July 29, 2018 Lincoln Lewis wrote, “Granger was not expected to account as Leader of the Executive but as Leader of the Opposition, and that saw him addressing issues, making promises/commitments that the society yearned for and pulling the right cords.

As a President holding press conferences and facing the media, he will be rightly asked questions to account for the stewardship of his administration”.
The time has now arrived for “the chickens to come home to roost.”
While the president had offered a miserly three press conferences since 2015, this time around, the president seems to waste no time in adopting the simplest approach.

The president said: “I have been very much disappointed that we haven’t been able to bring matters to prosecution… not only corruption matters but also matters of crime and murder.”
I am expecting this form of apologetic persuasion by the president to cover every failed area- the economy, corruption within the coalition, oil and gas, etc., in this campaign season – apology is the last resort of people who failed miserably and wants a second chance.

Speaking recently on Kaieteur Radio (The Political Show), the President said: “I am supported by a good team, and I have built a strong coalition.”
With an MP that couldn’t bear to see the suffering induced by the Coalition on his constituents, flipping on a vote of conscience and the present ruckus of selecting or accepting a prime ministerial candidate from the second major partner (AFC) in the Coalition, the president’s “good team ” and “strong Coalition” seem like distant mirages.

Judging from the failure of the Coalition to deliver on any of its promises, except the holding of LGE, over the last four years and the president continuous expression of satisfaction that he is “supported by a good team”, it would seem that the president is not the kind of leader to set the bar high or demand much from his team.

Despite all the allegations of corruption leveled at some members of his team and the “boom out” videos, not once had the president issued a chiding word to any on his “good team”.
The president rehiring in their respective ministries, the quartet that would not relinquish their foreign citizenship for service at the highest level, obviously because they cherish more, their feathered beds in foreign lands, is tantamount to a national disgrace.

That was a catastrophic blow against the feuding of patriotism in Guyana. Who wants to be a patriot after that?
Lincoln in his July 29, 2018 missive took note of the president penchant for praising his team when he wrote: “The ultimate responsibility for the performance of the Executive is the President, and as he expresses satisfaction with the performance of his team, continuous evaluation is being made by the man in the street who sees it differently.”

I would imagine that perception by Lewis of how the man in the street now sees it, should be worsened, given the shenanigans displayed by the Coalition in disrespecting the Constitutional provisions of the NCM since December 21st 2018.

I am inclined to think that the Coalition spilled their winning beans when they inordinately and autocratically choose to hang on to power rather than adhere to the constitutional provisions of the NCM.
So far, it is just the president speaking. His words:”we are confident that we are not winning by a one-seat majority; it will be a much larger majority.”

Grossly audacious.
This is reminiscent of a famous quote -“If you keep telling a lie you will eventually believe it.”
I figure the president would like to be a victim of this fallacy.
The hard questions are not being asked of him but they will be asked as long as he avail himself. Will the president avail himself or will he just keep talking? I am contemplating the latter.

I don’t anticipate a single press conference from him this election season – unless he can pick the journalists.

Rudolph Singh