The current actions of David Granger are certainly not those of an Officer and a Gentleman

Dear Editor,

As the 19th September approaches and our Caretaker President David Granger temporizes, the Constitution Granger swore to uphold upon becoming a Second Lieutenant in 1966, is being rendered impotent.
Officers of the Guyana Defence Force take an Oath of Allegiance “to bear true faith and allegiance to Guyana; support the defence of the State against all enemies while honoring and upholding and preserving the Constitution of Guyana without fear or favor, affection or ill will”.

David Granger himself told graduates in 2018 “Your commissions are not certificates merely to mark the successful completion of a training course. They constitute the lawful license for you to exercise authority as officers of the Republic”. This statement is so contrary to Granger’s behaviour, it led me to a closer examination of his GDF career; the results of the research offer uncomfortable answers.

Granger rose to prominence in the GDF when he formed the Special Political Enumeration Council (SPEC), “all officers were expected to join the group, they assembled at Congress Place in Camp Street” (Liverpool 2016) at the time Forbes Burnham was Prime Minister with his doctrine of ‘Party Paramountcy’.

In the 70’s party apparatchiks were in every sphere of Guyanese life and Major Granger was ensuring the army officers were not exempt from political indoctrination. Granger idolized Burnham, who took notice of his loyalty and excessive adoration.

Granger continued his rise through the GDF administration structure including serving as the last Force Commander, a position now defunct. Burnham died in 1985 and Granger’s stock declined. Granger was next in line for Chief-of-Staff when President Desmond Hoyte called him (Granger) into his office and told him that Joe Singh would be the next chief and he would be National Security Adviser.

Granger was senior to Joe Singh at the time, other officers; Carl Morgan, Desmond Roberts and Cecil Martindale were also bypassed as Hoyte moved away from Cold war era politics and embraced perestroika. He (Hoyte) felt Granger was too political and did not command much respect within the army.

The fact that Granger was mandated to perform duties as a political officer and ensure the rank and file were loyal to the path was of concern to Hoyte and as President, he wanted someone impartial and professional. It also begs the question of if Hoyte saw the flaws and/or limitations of the apparatchik even then.

Editor, as an aside, my father (Jai Narine Singh Sr.) was a founding member of the People’s National Congress and its first General Secretary. My father left the party, but my mother retained loyalty, and I can confess to voting countless times at the age of six. The party always had members who believed it was the ‘right party’ for Guyana, despite not having the majority of the votes as required in a democracy.

Mr. Granger was elected in a free, fair and free from fear election in 2015, he (Granger) seems to have forgotten that, and acts like we are back in 70s.

Granger is destroying the PNC, he moved away from its roots as a party of the working class with his elitist attitude and weak leadership. President Hoyte took the courageous step to move Guyana and the PNC into democracy, the Granger retrograde movement takes the party back into an epoch from which it may never return.

The country will move forward, but, “Remember Granger” will be the cautionary watchwords for many a generation to come. Maybe Burnham knew Granger better than we thought and never allowed him to be in charge of the GDF, for fear that he would destroy it the way he is destroying the PNC.
Since becoming President, David Granger has rewarded his SPEC comrades with lucrative jobs despite their advanced age. Granger also issued diktats to the GDF – the three Pips and a Crown of the Brigadier rank had to be changed to a baton and sword; Green Berets could no longer be worn with camouflage, only peak caps; the grass in Camp Ayanganna was an inch over length desired. Now former GDF officers are no longer allowed to visit the officers’ mess for meals or the occasional drink with former colleagues, a long-standing tradition destroyed.

To return to the issues of the Officers of the GDF and that Oath of Allegiance; how can we ask our young servicemen and women to be patriots, defend our country and uphold our Constitution when the holder of the highest office of the land operates with such scant disregard for the sacrosanct rights afforded under our Constitution?

The example being set by a former GDF Brigadier, now President, is demoralizing and dangerous to our nation’s future as a parliamentary democracy. The current actions of Caretaker President David Granger (Brigadier Retired) are certainly not those of an Officer and a Gentleman.

Respectfully
Robin Singh

Reference 
Title: Foundation of the Guyana Defence Force: A Soldier of Valour Story
Author: Compton Hartley Liverpool