Guyana is at a dangerous place

Sep 19, 2012 Letters

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Dear Sir,
Please allow me space to make a small comment in your newspapers, on a matter that is of extreme importance To ALL Guyanese.
A few nights ago I listened to an interview with Mr. Nigel Hughes, Attorney-At-Law, which was conducted by Mr. Mark Benschop on the Benschop Online International Radio.
The content of the interview was most disturbing to me as an Afro Guyanese in this country of my birth, Guyana.
Mr. Hughes spoke of many things that are within his personal knowledge and experience. None of the things that he spoke can be considered as “hearsay”.
Mr. Hughes spoke about his presence at a particular place where he felt that his presence has prevented the “execution” of a particular person. He also spoke about the request made to him by Mr. Tshaka Blair to speak to him, before Mr. Blair himself met his death.
The Lawyer spoke about his current involvement in a court case in which one witness had testified that “No Afro Guyanese was (at the time) qualified for diplomatic appointments…” in this country.
Mr. Hughes spoke about his research on land distribution matters and the current practice seems to be that the state lands are being “assigned” only to one particular set of people.
However, it was the statement made by Mr. Nigel Hughes that he was very “disappointed” by the action or non-action by the members of his own profession that has caused me to write this letter.
I would say that as a Lawyer myself, that I have sacrificed more than most people, in this fight of good against evil, in this current situation. The insurmountable object in this whole fight is the lack of education.
In his interview with Mr. Benschop, Mr. Hughes made a call for the lawyers to become involved in a form of “continuing education” process in all parts of the country. I would say that the call has a lot of merit, but like everything else the practicality of it has to be considered.
In some strange ways the society had gone into a mode of “rejecting” the presence and contribution of the legal profession within its midst.
There is a rule of professional ethics that no lawyer should “advertise” himself or herself in the practice of the profession, in the sense that there should be no unnecessary letter writings, “ambulance chasing”, in the sense of inserting yourself into every dispute or getting in the way of persons making their own choice of legal representation or any such matters.
At the same time this does not mean that Lawyers and their reputations are fair game for all and sundry. No person would like to get a personal lawsuit from a legal practitioner. I do not recommend it.
Where that leaves us is here: – Where the society prefers to select its leaders from every quarter, except the legal profession.
Where has that taken us? In the opinion of Mr. Hughes, and I quite agree with him, “Guyana is at a very dangerous place today”.
Guyana is at a very dangerous place today for many reasons, the first being the imposition of what is termed a “Minority Government” upon the population of Guyana , and the second being the total removal of the some Guyanese from their history.
In the spirit of “continuing education” I will give my considered opinion on these two matters and leave the matter of “implementation” up to the choice of the relevant persons and the wider population.
OUR CONSTITUTION does NOT RECOGNIZE this thing called a “Minority Government”.
Our WRITTEN Constitution speaks only of TWO forms of Government for the Guyanese people. It speaks of a Government that can control the business of the House by having a MAJORITY of the seats in the Parliament, and alternatively, our Constitutions speaks about an “INTERIM GOVERNMENT”.
The Constitution is as clear as Day. If no political party can control the business of the parliamentary house by having a working majority then the country MUST HAVE an Interim Government, while the people prepare themselves to go back to the polls to elect a government that can take care of their business in accordance with the terms of the Constitution.
At the last elections on 28th November, 2011 NONE of the parties that contested was able to win an outright majority of the seats in Parliament.
Things are even more clearly expressed in the legal system where “Coalition Governments” are no longer allowed, or no more “crossing of the floor” by politicians.
What the Constitution is asking for is a clear win by a Political party and nothing else.
What is in place here in Guyana is nothing more than an “Experiment”, an expensive and corrupt one that is being allowed to “rule” with the full knowledge, consent and approval of the Opposition parties.
Like all other experiments what can sometimes be produced is a Frankenstein monster.
Juliet Holder-Allen
Attorney-At-Law

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