Dr. Roger Luncheon was an enigma that commanded respect

Dear Editor,

IN adversarial forms of politics, as Guyana’s is, the acrimony and disdain for, and between, opposing sides is always very palpable. One is simply not expected to admire or revere anyone from the “other side”. In the case of Dr. Roger Luncheon, however, one could not escape the obvious reality that he was an enigma who commanded respect.

I have had countless close encounters and engagements with Dr. Luncheon, and in all he would remind you that he was no regular “banna” - to use one of his favourite expressions.

For three years, a small group, representing the PPP/C and PNC/R met quietly in dialogue to discuss a range of issues arising out of the Herdmanston Accord process. It was hard not to get to know each other on a more personal level. Though political views and positions remained unassailable, we all came away with a better appreciation and understanding of each other. Roger Luncheon, in those meetings, never failed to entertain or disappoint.

At his press conferences, he spoke in a very circuitous way and one had to develop an art to decipher his language. He wasn’t known to lie, but didn’t make it easy to understand what he was saying; especially when he was dealing with a thorny subject. If you took the time to dis- hurts.”

Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago had expressed sect his words, all one needed to know was intricately revealed. A most memorable example of this was when he coined the phrase “phantom force” in the heyday of the killings, by stating at a press conference: “...there is reasonably plausible evidence that there is a phantom force involved in killings, and it is not the security forces.” In those words was the first official acknowledgement of the killings that were plaguing the nation, and the source of them. grave concern, “I am getting a feeling that this is not going to end well…I hope I am wrong but that feeling…I am not having a good feeling…I have this unsettling feeling

On a more personal note, during the height of 2011 elections campaign, I once accompanied a colleague’s relative to meet with him at 6 am, to discuss possible government support in a time of personal need of the colleague’s family. At that meeting, though we were publicly locked in political battle, Dr. Luncheon produced a masterclass on the medical condition and outcomes my colleague was dealing with, and another masterclass on humanity.

There was not a hint of rancour, bitterness or arrogance on his part. It was easy to take the low road and hit his opponents when in distress. In the end, he calmly said, “we will help”. I came away from that meeting with the conviction that though we would be embattled, we must always maintain a sense of humanity.

May his soul rest in peace.

Sincerely, Raphael Trotman

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Dear Editor, AUGUST 2nd, 2023, the entire Guyana is celebrating society’s restoration from ‘autocracy’ (hypocrisy) to democracy. After the PPP/C Party had convincingly won the March 5th, 2020 General and Regional Elections, the then PNC Government lead by President David Granger, had refused to hand over governance to the PPP/C Party lead by Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the legal and legitimate winner of the election. The world chooses not to forget the five agonising and traumatising months of drama, when the PNC Party held this country to ransom with a rebel band of “sanctimonious gangsters” placing their knees on the throats of pleading Guyanese. Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and former CARICOM Chairman, had accused a “rogue clique” of playing with fire, commotion, disorder and civil war and wanting to hijack, in plain sight, the elections, and thus, the country.

In fact, what the world prefers to remember is the blatant and bare-faced attempts by the then PNC Government to feebly and porously rig the election in front of the glaring eyes of the watchful national, regional and international observers. With their usual foolish, dotish and childish misdemeanors, their prankish, hoggish and selfish endeavours, failed to defraud the Guyanese people of electing a party of their choice to manage the affairs of the nation. Head of the OAS observer mission to Guyana’s March 2nd elections, Bruce Golding (former Jamai- ca Prime Minister), had said, “And permit me here to pause to make a comment. I have never seen a more transparent effort to alter the results of an election.” “You know it takes an extraordinarily courageous mind [he gave a hint of a laugh as he said those two words] to present fictitious numbers when such a sturdy paper trail exists,” he had asserted.

Guyanese would forever be grateful, praiseful and thankful to the members of the ABCE Diplomatic Core, in particular US Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch, who stood their grounds and refused to be intimidated by a bunch of ruffians and rebels who wanted to retain power through illegal means by rigging the election with fictitious votes, swear in David Granger as President and storm in power with their high-handed attitude, backed and protected by their friends in the then GDF and the GPF. It was obvious back in 2020, the military forces were influenced to delay and deny the process of law and order and the practice of fair treatment was unquestionably trampled. Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley (former CARICOM Chair), had said, “Many of us have observed with great sadness what has been transpiring in Guyana… The role and focus of political parties must be useful and not obstructive in embracing and promoting the clear and expressed will of the people. When we confuse and frustrate that will, is when we begin to sow the very seeds of discord and acrimony that we are sworn to dissuade and discourage.” Mia Mottley did remind the PNC, “The truth