Walter Rodney CoI … “Secretly crafted” Terms of Reference creates distrust-APNU

Mar 20, 2014 News

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The secretly crafted Terms of Reference of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry (CoI), among other critical concerns, was the heart of “candid” discussions yesterday when members of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) met with the Commissioners appointed to the Inquiry.

However, it seems that the meeting provided little comfort, as most of the issues raised by the coalition remains inadequately addressed. The Commissioners, after listening to the concerns of the political Opposition, then recommended them to take their concerns with regard to the Terms of Reference (ToR) to President Donald Ramotar, if they wished to have them amended.
The meeting took place at APNU’s Headquarters on Hadfield Street, Georgetown.
APNU’s Shadow Minister of Public Works and Telecommunications, Joseph Harmon, described the meeting as fruitful. However, his counterpart, Shadow Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine said that the meeting only provided a “small amount of comfort”.
Harmon explained that his Party was given the opportunity by the Commissioners to ask any question, and it was more or less a “getting to know you” type of engagement.
APNU presented in a frank manner their concerns with regard to the Terms of Reference as well as their concern about the appointment of one of the Commissioners: Guyana-born, Trinidad-based Senior Counsel, Seenauth Jairam.
The concern was based on Jairam’s connection with the Government. APNU believes that he cannot be considered “politically neutral”, thereby presenting the potential for a clear bias to exist. During a recent press conference, it was highlighted that in 2012, after the Parliamentary majority in the National Assembly reduced the National Budget, Jairam was retained by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) to represent the Government in the court case that was brought against the Leader of the Opposition, Brig. David Granger and Speaker of the House, Raphael Trotman.

In spite of their apprehensions, Harmon said that they were given assurances that the CoI will be conducted in a fair and unbiased manner and decisions will be made based on the evidence before the Commissioners.
The Shadow Minister added, “We explained what our concerns were about the ToR and they seem to understand what our concerns are and they have given us the assurance that they will be fair and it is their job to interpret and understand what is before them. They are not little boys and girls; they are experienced people of the world and they will make a determination that is in the best interest. APNU had issues with the composition of the Commission and it did come up. We are not afraid to say what we believe because we think these are positions of principle and so we made them known. I think he (Jairam) took it in good stride and…anything outside of that will have to be taken up with the sponsoring authority, in which case would be the Office of the President.”
Dr. Roopnaraine indicated that the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) cannot say whether it would contribute to the Inquiry as the reassurances given by the Commissioners did not put to rest all of his Party’s concerns. He added, “It is important that we made it known to them. They assured us that they are the ones that have to determine the interpretation of the Terms of Reference and they would be led by evidence. The WPA has not taken a position that it would not participate, as there are a number of concerns, and we have not received a formal reply from the Office of the President and we are meeting again this afternoon (yesterday) to make some other arrangements.”
Harmon said that the fact that the political Opposition was not privy to the Terms of Reference before they were made public is basically creating an atmosphere of distrust about the objective of the Inquiry.
“Based on the experience of the Linden CoI, it should have been necessary on the part of the Government to engage the Opposition in drafting the ToR, not just telling us after. We have recent experience which suggested that this is what should have been done and to basically do that in secret and then appoint the Commission and then the public is then made aware, then you are basically creating an atmosphere of distrust about the motive of the CoI.”

“The Commissioners recommended that the APNU engage the Sponsors (the President) with regard to their concerns in an effort to have the Terms of Reference to which we have concerns with changed but we have the experience where there was an attempt to get a ToR in the Linden CoI amended and the President threw cold water on it.”
He expressed hope that the concerns that have been presented will serve to help the Government understand that they “Can’t proceed along this path of destruction… let us get something that will provide mechanisms for healing rather than division”.

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