DOUBLE STANDARD

Sep 19, 2016 Editorial

Almost everyone in Guyana knows that the main role of the Opposition is to question and sometimes criticize the government and hold it accountable to the public. The Opposition represents an alternative government, and is responsible for challenging the policies of the government and producing different policies where appropriate. However, a few weeks ago, the leader of the opposition, Bharat Jagdeo stated that the President’s words do not carry any weight and that he is a ceremonial president. Many, including the editorial staff of this newspaper, thought that the remarks by the opposition leader were offensive and have criticized him for being rude and disrespectful to the Head of State.
For the leader of the opposition to be so impolite is mean-spirited. The truth is he is in denial since losing the election. However, looking at some of the things the government has done, one cannot help but to agree marginally with the views of the opposition leader. A careful perusal of the record shows that since taking office, the government has established more Commissions of Inquiry and the President has attended more ceremonial functions than Jagdeo and Ramotar combined.
The government has set a double standard with the appointment of a Tribunal to determine whether Carvil Duncan should remain as Chairman of the Public Service (PSC), but it did not establish one to investigate the drug bond scandal or the controversial trip to China. Duncan who was the director of Guyana Power and Light (GPL) has been charged with fraud for paying himself $942,000 and for conspiring with the former deputy Chief Executive Officer Aeshwar Deonarine, who has since fled the country, to defraud GPL of $28 million. The case is currently in its closing stages before the Court.
Duncan was asked to step down as Chairman from the PSC, but the defiant trade unionist who was placed on $1 million bail has refused. The PSC is an important government institution, having been tasked with making appointments to public offices and to remove and exercise disciplinary control over those persons holding or acting in such offices. Its responsibilities include the recruitment, promotions, dismissals; resignations; reclassifications and transfers of public servants. Duncan is also a member of the Police Service Commission and the Judicial Service Commission.
This publication would not in any way condone any wrongdoings by anyone. But to have a Tribunal to investigate Carvil Duncan and not one to investigate the misbehavior or misconduct of cabinet officials is not only a travesty of justice but is also a double standard by the government. The government has had several scandals of its own doing, but none is worse than the drug bond scandal and the controversial trip to China, yet no independent investigation was done to determine whether any laws were violated or an abuse of power took place.
When in opposition, the government had criticized the PPP administration for the sole sourcing of drugs to the New GPC Company which is owned by a friend of the leader of the opposition. Now in office, the government has done the same by sole sourcing the drug bond contract to Linden Holdings Inc. whose principal owner is a close associate of the government. Instead of appointing a Tribunal to investigate the drug bond contract to avoid such mistakes in the future, the head of state has concluded that there was no criminality involved. In the case of the controversial trip to China, there was also no investigation and no explanation was given to the public. It seems that the government is covering-up for the mistakes, misconduct and misbehavior of cabinet officials which proves that it no different from the last administration. By condoning wrongdoings, the government is saying to the public that it would tolerate such behavior only from those in the cabinet. It is a double standard.

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