Dear Editor,
I write today, on what can only be described as a pinnacle of modern diplomatic theatre. The recent events at the farewell function for the outgoing British High Commissioner, Jane Miller, at her residence, that is, the abrupt departure of President Irfaan Ali and entourage when MP Azruddin Mohamed made an entrance. Based on reports in the public space, our Guyanese Nation was gifted an invaluable lesson in protocol, principle, and the profound art of the strategic exit. Is this the emblazoned blitzkrieg effect MP Azruddin Mohamed has on the prevailing government? Will this effect be exponential when he is elected as Guyana’s Leader of the Opposition?
Strikingly, we must, with the utmost gravity, commend His Excellency President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and his distinguished entourage. Their coordinated departure upon the arrival of MP Azruddin Mohamed was not, as some crass voices have suggested, a breach of etiquette. Perish the thought! It was, in fact, a nuanced performance of moral geometry—a swift, elegant calculation of social physics that would make Newton weep with pride.
Editor, think of the logistical brilliance! To so seamlessly coordinate a mass exodus of the nation’s highest officials—a symphony of turned backs and brisk steps—requires a level of operational planning that our National Security apparatus should rightly study. They said, without uttering a single word, “Our presence is a currency of infinite value, and we shall not devalue it by sharing oxygen with just anyone- especially MP Azruddin Mohamed- the presumptive Leader of the Opposition.
This bold move establishes a thrilling new precedent for global statecraft. Why bother with the messy, old-fashioned business of dialogue, reconciliation, or even frosty acknowledgment when one can simply… leave? Imagine the possibilities! International summits could be streamlined. Upon seeing a disagreeable counterpart, a leader can simply gather their papers and vacate the chamber. Trade disputes? Walk out. Climate negotiations? A swift exit. The savings on canapés and kerfuffle alone would be astronomical. Wait! “One People,One Nation,One Destiny”, you say? “ One Guyana”, you quipped? Hmnnnn. Both appears invisible in this socio/political amphitheater.
Editor, some may cynically whisper about unity, inclusivity, or the basic manners one expects at a diplomatic cocktail party. But these are the quaint concerns of a bygone era. We are in the age of the grand gesture, the powerful symbol. The message is crystal clear: association is everything, and the company one keeps (or dramatically avoids) is the ultimate testament to one’s character. Are we, in Guyana, standing at the cusp of a new diplomatic dawn, pioneered right here in Guyana?