Comments made by Backer were not serious and intended to cause panic

Oct 25, 2009 Letters

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Dear Editor,
The move by the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) members of Parliament to discipline Peoples National Congress Reform (PNCR) Member of Parliament, Deborah Backer, is a low class political stunt aimed to mislead the general public, and to divert attention from issues that really matter to the Guyanese people.
In the news item published in SN, dated October 10, 2009, it was reported that Backer was reported to the Parliament’s Privileges Committee for comments viewed as unfortunate by members of the government side of the house.
According to the report Backer is reported to have made certain comments about the Disciplined Forces which included assertions that the army was going overseas to torture people.
What is most unfortunate is that the Speaker of the House, Mr. Ramkarran has indicated that the PPP/C, in their complaint, has made out a prima facie case against Backer. In my own assessment of the speaker, I must admit that I have tremendous respect for the Speaker of the National Assembly; however, within recent times I had reason to question his stance and impartiality on some issues, now, including this development.
I am therefore, wondering if the Speaker thinks its time to start walking the strict party line in order to poise himself as the PPP/C’s front runner Presidential Candidate for the upcoming national elections.
I am indeed amazed that anything can be come of this complaint. If Backer’s comments can be considered such harmful and offensive to the nation then, almost every MP, including the Speaker might be guilty of this committing this kind of “unfortunate comments”.
Quite frankly I believe Backer is being singled out for “political reprisal” because of her recent letter in the press which skillfully counteracted Minister Manickchand’s comments and called for her to apologise to Members of Parliament.
This is the kind of tit-for-tat politics the PPP/C engages in, the thinking is that “got to get back at Backer”, no consideration is given to the fact that Backer’s response to Manickchand serves as an educative value, as it gave specific details of certain parliamentary procedures.
The government and the Speaker, clearly, are attempting to win an emotional and psychological battle to, as they see it, gain cheap political mileage. I say this because of the following reasons:
1. They know that Backer’s comments are reflective of what might be deemed as basic heckling, in the parliament. They also know that such comments are not extraneous to what they might deem usual parliamentary heckling.
In fact I was present in parliament many times when certain statements were made by members of the government that might be no different from what Backer might have said. The Speaker might refer to the Hansards for specific and pointed examples.
2. The attempt might be to make Backer a scapegoat, in order to divert attention from the real issues. In fact what should have been a hot topic debated in the parliament, is the letter purported to have been written by Minister Leslie Ramsammy ordering the purchase of the notorious spy equipment (Roger Khan’s laptop).
In the letter inferences could be drawn which suggest that members of the discipline forces might not be smart enough to do intelligence gathering, thus the need for the equipment.
I believe that this is a very damaging statement which can undermine the functionality of the discipline forces and can be music to the ears of the criminals.
But of course this letter is not purported to have been written by a member of the opposition, so it will not even be entertained in the National Assembly nor see the Committee of Privileges.
In fact a motion Brought by the Leader of the Opposition to deal with the entire Ramsammy/Roger Khan episode could not reach the order papers, as the Speaker finds it not fitting the description “urgent public importance”.
I believe that the government’s Members of Parliament should have acted with similar alacrity to report Minister Rohee to the relevant committee when he, in June of last year, in an aggressive fashion called on the Speaker to settle scores with him outside the parliament.
Rohee was upset that the Speaker did not entertain a motion brought by him that did not utilise the requisite channel for its tabling. I wonder why the Speaker did not move to discipline the Minister.
3. The members of the government benches know fully well that the comments made by Backer were not serious and intended to cause the panic they are intimating, so to make such an issue of it is very suspicious.
I believe that the opposition members should now take time to peruse the Hansards and submit those “unfortunate comments” by members of the government side to the speaker, in order that those people are disciplined. As the saying goes; “wah good fuh de goose good fuh de gander”.
4. This action seems like another attempt to instill fear in the nation, moving to the highest level of decision making. Seem like the government will stop nowhere. MPs must stay focus and continue to speak out about the abuses of this regime.
I believe in the principle of individual responsibility and respect the legal tenet that every right, including the right to free speech, has an equal and corresponding responsibility; I do not believe that Mrs. Backer’s comments were irresponsible, given the context intimated to earlier.
However, one might argue that her choice of words might not have been the best, but normal parliamentary heckling and jargons, in keeping with what obtains in the local National Assembly, may render such comments “non-issue” and in keeping with the norm.
I maintain this development is geared to invoke “unreal sympathy” not necessarily for the disciplined forces but for the government, whose respect for the very institution they claim to be defending is highly questionable. See the PPP/C’s long standing view of the disciplined services.
The Guyanese people will not fall for this one, we are smarter than the government thinks.
MPs should not allow Backer attempted muzzling to shut them up.
Minister Ashni Singh finds Rohee’s “square up” to the Speaker an unwarranted action?
Did he find Odinga Lumumba’s comments, in the National Assembly, offensive and becoming of a Member of Parliament?
If these questions are answered in the negative how different are Backer’s words? Is it institution vs. individual?
By the way was the torture report ever released for public scrutiny? Maybe the Speaker can advise us!
Lurlene Nestor

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