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Secrecy surrounding Presidential pardons offends democratic norms – Ramkarran
While the President has the power under of the Constitution of Guyana to grant pardon to prisoners,
Former House Speaker Ralph Ramkarran
former Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran, is contending that the prevailing secrecy and lack of transparency associated with the pardons offends basic democratic norms.
Last year, President David Granger pardoned about 60 youths convicted of minor non violent offences. The convicts were near completion of their prison sentences when they were pardoned. However the government decided against publishing the names of the pardoned convicts.
Members of the People’s Progressive Party /Civic (PPP/C) have since been critical of the government’s decision not to publicize the names of the persons.
Ramkarran, in a recent post on his blog conversation tree weighed in on the topic. While noting that the pardoning of prisoners is a very important matter, the former House Speaker held that prevailing secrecy and lack of transparency offend basic democratic norms.
Highlighting that Article 188(1) of the constitution, Ramkarran pointed out that the exercise of that power is a commendable one.
However he noted, “The public is entitled to know the criteria employed by the President, the names of the prisoners who have been released and the offences for which they have been charged. This is not and should not be treated as confidential information or state secrets.”
The former PPP/C politician said that the right to question took centre stage in the National Assembly, last week when PPP/C Member of Parliament, Anil Nandlall raised the issue.
President David Granger
“The Speaker ruled that Mr. Anil Nandlall abused the right in relation to a number of questions tabled by him. The questions appeared to be quite innocuous, even if the information sought was a bit much.”
Nevertheless Ramkarran noted, “These issues would never have arisen if President Granger had released the names and other particulars of the persons that he had pardoned in response to questions rightly posed to him.
“Numbering 70, the figure given by Guyana Chronicle of June 2, 2016, the President said at the time that young people should be in school and not in jail.”
He stressed that the public is entitled to know the criteria employed by the President, the names of the prisoners who have been released and the offences for which they have been charged.
“This is not and should not be treated as confidential information or state secrets.”
“The Guyanese people through their lawful representatives, Members of the National Assembly, are concerned. They sought but failed to elicit the information from the President. They resorted to the National Assembly”, he said adding that the President is accountable to the people of Guyana who elected him and who now employ him and his Government and pay their salaries.
“He and the Government work for us and act on our behalf .We therefore have a right to ask him and them reasonable questions relating to our business, namely, the basis on which they perform their duties on our behalf and they have a duty to answer us.”
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A-a-a-a-nd there disappearing in the distance, goes all that pre-election moralising and promises (what? not again?) of greater transparency.
Did any of these people ever bother looking up the meaning of the word?
Maybe they just liked the sound of it.