Name something after Mike Pompeo and Sarah-Ann Lynch
Kaieteur News – Three days from now, Guyanese may not hear the name Mike Pompeo again. He will no longer be one of the world’s most important actors in international relations. Mr Pompeo may secure a lucrative job in the US but it is doubtful here in Guyana that we will hear the name mentioned.
Mike Pompeo by next Wednesday would be the former US Secretary of State. But he will be a former Secretary of State who has gone down in the history of this country in more detail than any Cabinet minister serving in the US government in British Guiana and Guyana. There will be a debate between Pompeo and Jimmy Carter about the title for which an American statesman was more of a Guyana savior.
I would put Pompeo ahead of Carter in the context of where the world is when Pompeo intervened to prevent the rigging of the March 2020 election. Space would not allow analysis. But I would never underestimate Carter’s incredible role in rescuing Guyana as well. I think it was a tremendous task to determine who was more critical to Guyana’s future – Mike Pompeo or Jimmy Carter
Mr. Pompeo has saved this country in a way that the current generation should be eternally grateful to. This is the APNU + AFC’s plan for seizing power in anticipation of a ruling by the Court of Appeal. Although the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) settled the issue that the recount observed by CARICOM was legal, the APNU + AFC asked the Chief Justice (CJ) to reverse that ruling. The CJ confirmed that.
An appeal was made against the CJ’s decision to extend the life of the alien regime only. The leaders of the regime knew that the ruling of the CCJ was final and that the end had come. The plan was that as soon as the Court of Appeal aligned with the CJ, then the three GECOM commissioners from the APNU would resign. In such a situation there could not have been a formal meeting of GECOM to make a statement. Here again, the plot simply included a delay in the hope that something unusual – locally or internationally or regionally – might happen to lead to reconciliation discussions between the PPP and PNC. President Granger would not have been in a hurry to name GECOM’s replacement.
More underwater was to come before Pompeo made direct contact with Granger. The suggestion of a dialogue between Jagdeo and Granger agreed by Claudette Singh was justly rejected by Jagdeo. But even after this, there was a second attempt at dialogue that Jagdeo again rejected.
Enter Sarah-Ann Lynch. The US Ambassador was in no mood to hear anything other than a statement from GECOM. He contacted Pompeo. Pompeo contacted Granger and insisted that he accept defeat or that there will be tremendous consequences. Get into Volda Lawrence. What Granger did annoyed Lawrence. Granger Singh wrote accepting the account observed by Caricom. This put the three APNU commissioners in disarray. Lawrence faced Granger. The rest is history.
I suggest Guyana shows his appreciation to Pompeo and Lynch in the following ways:
1-Renaming Young Street where the US embassy is – the Pompeo / Lynch Avenue.
2-Erection of a plaque at the arrivals section of Cheddi Jagan Airport describing Pompeo and Lynch’s invaluable contribution to democracy in Guyana.
3-Name the new highway from Diamond to Ogle – Pompeo / Lynch highway.
4-Name the new East Bank / West bridge link – Pompeo Bridge / Lynch Harbor.
5-Construct a high school in any District other than Region Four. Model it after the multilateral concept we had in the seventies to cater for disadvantaged students compared to Region Four students. Name it Pompeo and Lynch School of Excellence.
6-The barrage area from Kingston to Ogle is being landscaped to emulate the aesthetics found in Europe. It’s supposed to be one of the best tourist attractions in Region Four. Name the long section of the Pompeo / Lynch Garden corridor.
7-The AS research arm, the Institute for Development Studies, has lapsed for many years. Operating a research school at AS called the Pompeo / Lynch Research School.
8-Start a doctoral scholarship called Pompeo / Lynch Scholarship open to Guyanese only intending to live and work in Guyana is understandable in the choice of university of the successful candidate. The areas must be; international law, political theory, human rights studies or philosophy.
It is undeniable that Mike Pompeo and Sarah-Ann Lynch’s contribution to the preservation of democracy in Guyana fades to oblivion. That is a moral crime that this country will be guilty of for generations to come.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.)