IN NO POSITION TO CRITICIZE GRANGER

Oct 25, 2017 Editorial

When in Government, former President Jagdeo and several PPP Ministers constantly criticized Kaieteur News which he dubbed the opposition for publishing false news about the government. They not only waged a relentless war against the paper, but they also took away Government advertisements from it and have even threatened its staff with violence.
Now in opposition, several former ministers, including the former Attorney General and the Minister of Agriculture, have been writing letters almost on a daily basis, despite their leader’s criticism of the newspaper.
Many are livid and angry at President Granger’s unilateral appointment of 84-year-old retired judge, James Patterson, as the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), and have used this publication to vent their frustrations. This has not only greatly undermined their credibility but has also exposed their hypocritical behaviour.
Outraged and fuming over the appointment, the leader of the opposition has decided to pursue legal actions. He is also considering a series of protests, petitions, vigils and marches in the hope of reversing what he called “the undemocratic, unilateral, and illegal” appointment of retired Judge James Patterson as the new GECOM Chairman.
As reported, the PPP has not only condemned the Chief Justice’s ruling on the term “fit and proper” and criticized the President’s interpretation of it, but has also called for it to be changed in the constitution. It has also accused the President of using the constitution to thwart opposition policies and to make unilaterally decisions. However, the PPP cannot eat its cake and still have it.
Lest we forget, the major plank of the PPP 1992 election campaign was on the 1980 Constitution which they claimed had given too much powers to Burnham and by extension his government. Not only did they promise to reform it and reduce the powers of the presidency, but they claimed that it was flawed.
In office for 23 years, the PPP agreed to some changes to the constitution. There were no substantial changes to it in 2000. The powers of the president remain intact.
However, the worst abuse of the Constitution took place during the fifteen-year rule of the Jagdeo/ Ramotar regime. In this period, arrogance, corruption and vindictive politics reigned supreme. The Jagdeo regime unilaterally gave away the airwaves to relatives, friends and party; and took the country’s best oceanfront lands for himself and friends.
His government also siphoned hundreds of millions of dollars from the treasury to overseas bank accounts and used NICIL as a vehicle to violate the financial laws of the country with the reckless squandering of state funds.
It also made several unilateral decisions, including the awarding of the country’s most lucrative drug contract to the former President’s best friend. This happened after he sold the Sanata Complex to his best friend at a very cheap price, not to mention the selling of valued state lands at far below market value to their friends and relatives.
Mr. Jagdeo and his PPP cohorts are hypocrites to criticize the unilateral appointment of GECOM chairman. They cannot accuse the government of corruption and contend that what the government is doing wrong.
Even though the President unilateral appointment of GECOM chairman may seem egregious to some, he is within his legal rights to do so.
Of interest is the fact that Jagdeo selected the previous Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission. When it suited him he protested against that Chairman and demanded a new Chairman. He has got a new chairman but like a pair of shoes, something is wrong with the style.

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