Dear Editor,
I was immediately struck by President Irfaan Ali’s reference to Her Excellency Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett’s indigenous heritage in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly held in New York City. I found it to be inappropriate and detracting from her rich qualifications for the post. Her appointment would have been of tremendous importance to Guyana and even to the Caribbean and the world. We now know that that she will likely be vetoed by the United States which would eliminate her as a contender.
I would tend to believe that the President’s speech was crafted by a speech writer in whom he would have placed trust and confidence. However, speeches prepared for government officials should always be reviewed by the officials delivering them. We had a glaring example when a former governmental official confused the two Indian events of Phagwah and Diwali while delivering a speech to mark one of these occasions.
Any veto to Her Excellency Birkett’s appointment should serve as a guide to who our allies are. We are a small country with a small military, rife with valuable natural resources, which certain countries would not hesitate to covet and seize. It is reasonable to understand the necessity to align ourselves with a country or countries with strong military forces especially with the quality and quantity of oil we now possess. Any war is detestable but preparation is unavoidable. Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, says that he wants China to be ready to win a war by 2027. This might sound strange, as China is never provocative or known for sending its military into a war. Maybe China or BRICS is what we need.
Thank you to Mr. Keith Bernard for expressing similar sentiments to mine about the President’s inappropriate reference to Her Excellency Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett’s indigenous heritage.
Sincerely,
Conrad Barrow
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