What will it take to make a Lawyer into a patriot?

Sep 22, 2018 Letters

Dear Editor,
The recent invocation of the immunity clause by former president Bharrat Jagdeo in regards to being questioned by SOCU in relation to Pradoville 2 lands, seems to have awaken a group of local bears from a long hibernation.
While I am in support of a KN article, “Constitutional reform needed to curb presidential excesses–Lawyers”, I take umbrage to the specific class of citizens (Lawyers) from whom the above caption emanate. Surely, I would have liked to have some names.
You have to give credit to Freddie Kissoon for often saying that Guyana will never change. Lawyers are the legal minds and in local parlance, they are “top of the food chain”, in matters of the law and constitution.
Prior to the recent KN article, I cannot recall seeing a single article in any of the papers, advocating for the repealing of the presidential immunity clause or any other changes to the constitution, by a lawyer. I had the impression that these carnivores of fortune were well satisfied with our constitution.
To hear or read that a few of them came out in one voice in favour of constitutional reform is akin to the joke of the century. In fact, one on the Opposition benches, whom is considered by a few as a presidential hopeful, had been very vocal against constitutional reform a year ago when the UN and the British were trying to give CR a kick start here.
The said one who had said that, “the need for compliance trumps the need for reform,” is the one who had the honour in invoking the immunity clause in defence of his client B. Jagdeo. It boggles the normal mind to imagine what it would take to make a Lawyer into a patriot!
The day the PPP announces this lawyer’s candidacy could be justifiably termed the day, the evil landed on Guyana. I would like to hear his justification for retaining the immunity clause in the constitution- considering his pontification that “the need for compliance trumps the need for reform.”
While the Coalition has been deceptive on all its major promises, constitutional reform included, there has been no impetus from the Opposition (PPP), the party that claims representation of more than 49% of the voting population, to push for reform. In fact, the Party leaders had categorically stated that they don’t want any reform of the constitution, without any consultation with their so called constituencies. The Coalition has displayed daring examples of corruption and nepotism; they are doing a poor job at handling what had existed as the economy.
They deserve a zero for their charade in the coming oil and gas sector. In this scenario, the PPP fancies its chances to achieve “nirvana” once again in 2020, without changing a single iota of the constitution in which its members had enriched themselves in the past-Guyanese has entrapped themselves between a rock and a hard place- the PPP and the coalition.
I am inclined to think that nothing more on CR will be forthcoming from these laymen; they were caught in heat of the moment to give a response on the “immunity issue”, then back to their normative silence. The British High Commissioner said,” Constitutional Reform” will only happen if the people want it.
“Who is there to “bell the cat”? With the diehard supporters of the APNU and the PPP only believing what their leaders say. CR will remain in limbo.
Rudolph Singh

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