NEWS
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SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
WBD man kills brother with scissors Granger is still gambling for resurrection
…surrenders after committing the act three to four time but I didn’t see no response until he died…They does normally argue but last night was real terrible,” the man related. The police, Ezra noted, had difficulty finding the house, which is located in an alleyway. He contended that the younger Hodge would have survived if
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ack in March, when Granger called for a recount after the Mingo debacle - which he could not deny because the entire western block had witnessed his perfidy we wrote bluntly, “The recount is just a ploy.” We still do not see Granger letting go of power even now that the recount has proven beyond a shadow of doubt that the PPP won the elections. We pointed out that Granger and the PNC are using a strategy called appropriately in game theory and politics, “gambling for resurrection” (GFR). Here, leaders who see defeat staring them in the face of Ravi Dev competition or conflict, take high risk actions that would be considered “irrational” in normal circumstance because the high costs of defeat “objectively” outweigh the low probability of victory. But in this specific instance, the Gambling for Resurrection PNC leaders, Granger and Harmon, figure that while high, the risks are not insurmountable. First of all, they had already polarized its African-Guyanese constituency with their mobilization strategy during the campaign: exploiting historical fears of being “swamped and subordinated” by “circling the wagons” against the PPP, who are presented as devils literally planning to exterminate them. They have deployed classic tactics like personalising their hatred, not only onto their Indian Guyanese ethnic rivals, but moreso onto their leader Bharat Jagdeo. The talk-show hosts have migrated from the local TV screens to the far more powerful social media platforms from where they whip up ethnic fears of their group. Granger and the PNC have the support of their core group. Secondly, Granger and the PNC know that domestically, the PPP are in no position to challenge their illegal squatting in office. They occupy the seat of authority (the government) and have the ethnic loyalty of all the power centres of the state: the Police Force; the GDF; the Peoples Militia; the Civil Service; the Government corporations where they have appointed ex-army squaddies as Heads of Department plus even supposedly independent institutions like GECOM etc. And just as importantly, they can always call out the lumpen urban elements who have historically rioted on their behalf, such as the post-1997 ethnic riots , to intimidate the Indian-Guyanese business class, who are considered as financial backers of the PPP. It for these reasons that the PNC can confidently announce that they will not “allow” the PPP to return to office. The only fly in the ointment in the PNC’s gamble is the position of the international community – especially the US. Back in 2011, just before the elections of that year, some PNCfriendly academics, such as Ivelaw Griffith who was later to be appointed VC of UG as a reward, had crafted a document on the “Strategic Culture of Guyana”. This posited that the PNC better satisfied that criterion, which the US was using to evaluate allies after the fall of international communism. This conclusion had been presented to the US administration, especially the US Army Southern Command, which is closely affiliated with the sponsoring Florida International University. The US, in fact did tilt towards the PNC in the 2011 and 2015 elections, when the latter captured office in coalition with the AFC. The more even-handed approach of the US Administration in the subsequent years can only be attributed to the PNC coalition’s inept handling of the domestic situation – especially the economy and politically, with its obdurate refusal to modify its policies to practice consultative coalition politics. The US must have concluded “this is déjà vu all over again” as they remembered the disaster the PNC under Burnham had wreaked in Guyana. The PPP, on the other hand, had demonstrated they were not going to challenge US interests locally and hemispherically and they were better suited to maintain stability in a country that neighbours the strategically vital Venezuelan oil reserves. Granger had carefully phrased his commitment on the recount on Chairperson Claudette Singh’s declaration. Going by his history, he would have already gamed the system in his favour. In this situation the PNC leadership is gambling for resurrection by taking on the Americans and the west which have consistently called for the results of the recount to be respected. As such Granger and the PNC are almost certainly taking the country down the road to sanctions – most likely personal. This will not end well.
pect] come home, he would always be beating him because of his hand. It so happened that it continue for the whole week and this morning [Saturday], he break off a wood from the bed and charge [the suspect] who was in his bed sleeping. Like they had a scuffle and I don’t know where the scissors come
Dead: Timothy Hodge
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scuffle between two brothers had a deadly ending early Saturday morning at Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara (WBD), after the older sibling picked up a pair of scissors and slit the other’s throat. Dead is 22-year-old Timothy Hodge of Lot 29 Sisters Village, WBD. His 36-year-old brother later surrendered to law enforcement. Based on information received, the incident occurred at about 02:00h. Uncle of the two men, Ezra (only name provided) told this publication that he lives just next door to the family. He said that the brothers were involved in a heated argument which prompted him to call to the police. According to the uncle, the brothers would usually have small squabbles, but this time around, it sounded serious. As the situation escalated, the older sibling grabbed a pair of scissors and slashed his brother's throat. According to the uncle, Timothy was discovered alive by family members and several calls to emergency services were made yet again. However, no one arrived until 04:00h. “The two of them had a lil story and then I hear a scuffling with the two of them. When I come out after, I see Timothy lying down on the floor with his face down. I call the police about
The Sister’s Village residence which the brothers shared with their mother
help had arrived on time. “If they had come when I called them at 02:15h, this wouldn’t happen right now. I called them and that’s when the story started happening. I decided to call the police at that time because I said like something might happen but at the time, they said they don’t know is where. I went out on the road waiting on them to come and I never see them come until Timothy dead,” he uncle recalled. Meanwhile, an aunt of the brothers told Guyana Times that the deceased would imbibe on a regular basis, reportedly causing conflicts with the suspect, who has a hand deformity. She spoke about their unstable relationship, alleging that the older Hodge was subjected to physical abuse by the now dead man. “The small brother does drink and he always take advantage of the big brother. Every time the boy [the sus-
from,” she detailed. After the intense episode, the suspect went over to the Wales Police Station where he surrendered. As Police continue their investigation, the man is still in Police custody. Both men resided with their mother. This is the second incident in one week, whereby a man died at the hands of his brother. Last Sunday, a Shieldstown, West Bank Berbice, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) labourer was fatally stabbed to the chest by his younger brother during a row over land. Sarananand Bisnath, 45, of Back Street, Shieldstown, and his 44-yearold brother were imbibing when a verbal disagreement erupted over their father’s land. The younger brother armed himself with a knife and attacked Sarananand, who was still sitting in the hammock. He was stabbed to the chest in the vicinity of his heart.
