The irony of all ironies: The lady is Guyanese

Nov 06, 2016 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

With my tiny income, I would only contribute financially to very humane causes – saving humans, animals, medical assistance, educational purposes; things in those categories. I doubt very much I would give money to renovate a building, clean the beaches, buy sporting gear and things like that; l just cannot afford such generosity. I will make an exception. And I wouldn’t even think about it. It is central to my study of the ontology of Guyana.
I would make a financial contribution to an academic study that will provide a statistical outlay as to how many citizens in this population actually interface with the totality of public service. Let me expand my meaning. I refer to people who have to go to the ministries, the Deeds Registry, High Court Registry, CH&PA, GRA, GPL, GWI, the police, the form teachers and head teachers of the public schools, the municipalities, NDCs, UG, NIS etc. to secure a service, whatever that service may be, for example, a document etc.
It will make for fascinating reading because the population of Guyana stands somewhere around 750,000 give or take a few thousand. Out of that number, about 30 percent are below the age of 17. In that population too, are aging souls that do not leave their homes. How many citizens then does the entire gamut of public service cater for? In a comparative context, Guyana has a small population. Why then for public service, whether to receive a document or any other kind of service, is the waiting interminable?
My daughter got the shock of her life last week. Her driver’s licence was up and we went to the GRA head office. In the compound was this huge tent with dozens of persons sitting under it, waiting to submit their application for renewal of their driver’s licence. Please note; not to submit and wait for the licence, but just to hand in the application.
What has this long preamble got to do with the caption of this column? Brace yourself for some mind-boggling information.
Last week, a middle-aged British woman, Gina Miller, made the headlines around the world. She was born in Guyana and left when she was a little girl. She filed a writ in the British High Court to ask for a declaration that the UK Government cannot invoke Article 50 of the EU Treaty to pull the UK out of the EU unless Parliament votes on such a decision. The High Court granted her the declaration. But here is the part where a Guyana-born woman did something that calls into question the existence of this God-forsaken country named Guyana.
The British Government appealed the decision. Read this now. The UK Appeals Court or the Supreme Court will hear that appeal beginning December 5, 2016. In a country with 50 million citizens, their Court of Appeal will hear an appeal from the High Court one month, ten days after the ruling by the lower court. The irony of the situation is if that very woman as a Guyanese had asked the Guyana High Court for a declaration and it was given, and it was appealed, she might not have lived to see that appeal heard.
Barack Obama is about to demit office. He spent eight years as President. Within those eight years, there have been dozens of litigations against his Affordable Care Act, all of which reached the Supreme Court, all of which have been settled. We are talking about a country with over 300 million citizens. Let’s leave the UK and the US and return to Guyana.
Do you know the libel suit the then President, Bharrat Jagdeo, filed against this columnist and this newspaper started in July 2011 and it is nowhere near its conclusion? The then Chief Justice who fixed trial to begin eleven months after Jagdeo filed his writ, is gone from the High Court. Bharrat Jagdeo is gone from the presidency. Donald Ramotar is gone from the presidency. The PPP is out of power. We are about to enter 2017, and the libel case is still in the High Court. Mr. Jagdeo, knowing him, will appeal if he loses. But he and I may not be alive when the appeal is heard.
I know we are in for a humongous surprise. The High Court ruled that Mr. Jagdeo can be president for a third term. The Government has appealed. I doubt (my opinion) that appeal will be heard before the 2020 general elections. Mr. Jagdeo will be leading the PPP into the 2020 elections as the presidential candidate. The question is of course; will this country still be alive in 2020?

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