Mubarak and the PNC

Guyanese around the world must be following the events in Egypt. Although Guyana and Egypt are oceans apart they do have some things in common on the political front. Most people are appalled that Hosni Mubarak has been in power for 30 years. But guess what, that is exactly how long the PNC had power in Guyana. What is worse is that Mubarak is known to have rigged just about every election. The exact same is true of Guyana under Burnham and Hoyte. There is more. Now in his last days at the helm, Mubarak is blaming foreigners for interfering in Egypt, although it is the same foreign governments that have kept him in power for so long. Does this ring a bell? If your memory has faded a bit let me help you out. After a visit by President Jimmy Carter to Guyana, Hoyte made an explosive speech on TV accusing foreigners for interfering in Guyana. Like Mubarak, he forgot to mention that it is the same foreigners who had put the PNC in power three decades before.
Finally, for decades there was no freedom of expression in Guyana. Newsprint was not available, almost all journalists were employed by the state, and freedom of assembly was non-existent. Much like the situation in Egypt, the Guyanese military played a key role in protecting an illegal government and suppressing basic human rights. Current PNCR contestant Granger was a senior military officer at the time. How ironic it is that people forget these things and now want a velvet revolution. By the way Freddie Kissoon who is advocating revolution would have been thrown in prison many moons ago in Egypt. It is not too late for him to go to Egypt to test that theory out.