CHRISTOPHER RAM: An anti-Gov't activist, driven by a political agenda and personal ambition.

Counter Punch: Guyana’s resident Mr. Know-It-All, the Belatedly Matriculated Junior Counsel Mr. Chris Ram, has once again disclosed his true stripes, that is to say, that he is no objective commentator as he would like to portray himself, but instead is a rabid anti-Government political activist, devoid of any technical rigour, filled with poisonous irrationality and prejudice, and incapable of any analysis to be taken seriously.

His latest tirade comes in his Sunday Stabroek assault on the IMF, an institution whose boots he would have tumbled over himself to lick, up to very recently, but whose change of fortune in his books comes as a result of their latest report on Guyana which commends Guyana’s recent economic performance, highlight positive prospects going forward, and describes key risks faced in the future. How dare the IMF say anything positive about Guyana? In Mr. Ram’s books, they committed the cardinal sin, of being even marginally positive about Guyana.

Had he had any competence whatsoever, he would have seen that the IMF report in fact was extremely balanced and impartial. It gave positive recognition where appropriate, and it sounded cautions where appropriate. But, since he is himself incapable
of any balance and objectivity, he saw red and adopted his customary mad raging bull stance the minute he saw the slightest positive comment about Guyana.

His analysis reveals itself for his own incompetence and puerility. He quibbles about minor issues such as whether the IMF got the establishment date for the NIS correct.
How do these trivialities influence the conclusions they draw? In absolutely no way whatsoever. But then, he makes the most basic of mistakes in his own analysis and commentary, including by getting the official sugar production wrong by nearly 20,000 tonnes. How could he draw any sensible
conclusions if he cannot even get right something basic like what the official sugar production target, a number that is clearly stated in the budget speech and that has been repeated publicly over and over again?
The fact of the matter is that Mr. Ram hankers for public office, and wants to do so without bearing the burden of putting himself up as a candidate for election and without
suffering the inconvenience of scrutiny by the electorate. He resents this administration because he sees this administration as denying him his desire for back door entry to political power and personal aggrandisement. His resentment stems from the fact that he was hoping to be given a senior appointment by this administration. When this did not materialise, he turned his venom on.

If Mr. Ram longs for public office, like he clearly does, he should align himself with his friends and acolytes in opposition, whose cause he has openly embraced, declare
himself to be a politically ambitious person, and compete before the electorate for office. It is well known that he was under
consideration for the PNC presidential candidacy, but was subsequently discarded by them. Even they rejected him, perhaps knowing him for what he is. He may now be angling to be their Prime Ministerial candidate. He should pursue that avenue given his interest in political power.

Meanwhile, his latest tirade deserves only to be dismissed as yet another piece of evidence that he is no objective commentator. He is an anti-Government activist, driven by a political agenda and personal ambition, who wants to be shielded by a pretence of independence and objectivity.