Burnham practiced ‘a politics of vindictiveness’ – Rodney COI hears

By Kurt Campbell

[www.inewsguyana.com]–Executive Member of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) Tacuma Ogunseye has described Former President LFS Burnham as a “vindictive politician.”

During his testimony at the Rodney Commission of Inquiry, Ogunseye, said that the Former President was an outstanding Guyanese, great Lawyer, good author, but above this he was a Politician who in his judgment was not prepared to lose executive power.

“He was a Politician, a politician that in my judgment, once he got power he was not prepared to lose it at all cost,” he said.

The WPA Member went on to add that Burnham did not subscribe to the principle that the presidency should rotated.

“He wanted to hold onto power till he died, he practiced a politics of vindictiveness.”

He said Burnham was very personal even as he drew comparison to Former President Janet Jagan, whom he said was like Burnham in relation to being vindictive.

Ogunseye went on to tell of a story where the late President turned her back on him when he attempted to shake her hands, a day after he had criticized her in the local newspapers.

“Burnham had his strong points, he was a nationalist but he was a man like this: if you play with my power, I will hurt you.”

When asked whether Burnham supported violence against his political opponents, Ogunseye replied: “He was prepared to do anything, even use force.”

He recalled rigged elections by PNC Government, pointing to a massive electoral fraud in 1973 and the referendum in 1980 which was designed to give Burnham overwhelming powers.

He also spoke of ‘paramountcy of the Party’ which made the PNC more important than the State, adding that the WPA was 100% opposed to that.