Animal Farm reborn under this Coalition

Jul 29, 2018 Letters

Dear Editor,
During the past three years of this Coalition Government in Office we have witnessed a modern day, real life enactment of George Orwell’s political allegory, Animal Farm.
It must be recalled that immediately before the entry of the APNU/AFC Coalition into government in May 2015, the then Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsarran was sacked by the PPP/C Administration after there was a ‘public outcry’ backed by the Guyana Bar Association, the Guyana Women Lawyers Association, the Justice Institute of Guyana and the Private Sector Commission. This was supported by condemnation from the US and British Envoys. It was concluded that the utterances by the minister cannot be condoned. This is despite Dr. Ramsarran being charged and hauled before the Courts!
Let us now fast forward to July 2018, a sitting Junior Minister of Government, Simona Broomes claimed that two security guards attached to the KGM Security Firm approached her vehicle as she and her driver were parking and abused them, one of them cocked his gun in her direction and threatened her life. The two guards were arrested and locked up for 12 hours before being released on their own recognizance. The surveillance camera however contradicted her version of what happened.
Unfortunately, the ‘public outcry’ is now subdued and the various organizations which were so vociferous in Dr Ramsarran’s case are among the silent majority.
This is the same Minister who was reprimanded by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland for bringing the House to disrepute for filming a parody video in the Chambers and distributed it on the social media. This Minister is untouchable: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
It must be recalled also that it was the APNU/AFC Coalition which had said that the Code of Conduct for Ministers will be in effect before the first 100 days in office but despite coming into effect nearly two years later the effectiveness of the Code is questionable since disciplinary action and penalties for the breach of this Code lie solely with President Granger and the Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.. Transparency International Guyana had noted that instead of leaving this to the will of the very people the Code would govern, specific penalties for some breaches should be laid out. This has now come to pass!
The Code of Conduct for Public Officials clearly states that “a person in public life shall, in the execution of his or her official functions, conduct themselves in a manner which engenders the respect of their peers and the public.”
It also states that “a person in public life owes a duty to the public and shall consider themselves servants of the people.”
It is evident that there was a breach of this Code but the Minister of State had concluded that the Broomes case is ‘a police matter…let the police do their work’, while the President is silent, the Minister of Security offered ‘no comment’ and the Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally ‘got better things to do’ than addressing ‘social protection issues’. Surely the Code does not apply to Government Ministers and Officials!
“Man serves the interests of no creature except himself.”
― George Orwell, Animal Farm.
Yours sincerely,

Haseef Yusuf

RDC Councilor-Region 6

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