UNILATERIAL APPOINTMENT

Oct 21, 2017 Editorial

In every general election since independence, leadership has played a pivotal role in Guyana. And we have been blessed with excellent leaders who, despite whatever human flaws they might have had, were never found to be individuals without integrity.
From time to time, their administrations might have had instances where some controversy or scandal might have surfaced but never was their leadership credibility and integrity brought into disrepute. The leadership of the others was highly questionable, especially that of Bharrat Jagdeo who was not only corrupt, selfish, greedy and vindictive but lacks credibility and morality.
In fact, many believe that he is probably the most immoral leader in all of the Caribbean.
Our present leader may have his detractors, especially where his leadership skills and style and communication modus operandi are concerned. He appears to be indecisive, slow to act and lacks vision, but his integrity has never been publicly or politically questioned until now. President Granger’s unilateral appointment of 84-year-old retired Justice James Patterson as the new Chairman of Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has aroused suspicion.
After rejecting the first list of candidates from the opposition leader, some believe his motive was suspicious, but rejecting the second and third lists suggested that he was about to end the game being played by Jagdeo on such an important Constitutional appointment.
Was he wrong, may be? Did he show poor leadership by unilaterally choosing the new GECOM chairman, time will tell? Lest we forget, President Jagdeo had promised not to unilaterally distribute the radio and television airwaves, but he did in his final days before demitting office in 2011. And even though a jury failed to find Mark Benschop guilty of trump-up charges of treason by the Jagdeo regime, Jagdeo single-handedly kept him in prison for another five years before releasing him. The party Jagdeo leads found an employee of Courts who, regardless of the decision, held out for a guilty verdict, knowing that a hung jury would ensure that Benschop would remain in prison. Such is the vindictive nature of Jagdeo.
So vindictive was Jagdeo that when the courts called for Benschop to be tried, Jagdeo got Anil Nandlall and Priya Manickchand to file a motion seeking to have all cases tried in chronological order. That meant that regardless of whether a magistrate writes up his decision or not, a person must wait until all those whose Preliminary Inquiries are completed before his, could be heard in the High Court.
So for an angry and confused Mr. Jagdeo to accuse President Granger of being “a liar and someone who could not be trusted…and taken at face value… [because] at the heart of this presidency lies a very sinister nature” is highly irregular.
It is an accusation that is not new. It has been bandied around for more than two years since the coalition government took office.
We are in no way justifying the President’s choice of chairman of GECOM, even though some question his age.
But we agree with him that age should not be a stumbling block for the position of GECOM Chairman or anyone else as long as they are fit and proper and could handle the rigors of the job. However, it begs the question as to why Justice Patterson who should be happily enjoying his retirement restricted himself to the rigidity, strenuous and exhausting task. And what message is the President sending to the youth and middle-age individuals in the country? It seems that either he is poorly advised or does not seek advice at all.
Further, Jagdeo’s threat not to cooperate with the government on any issue until it complies is not new. It is pure hogwash and was rightfully scoffed at by the President.

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