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An attack on Anil Nandlall’s chance at being Presidential candidate
Dear Editor,
There is a clearly orchestrated strategy being pursued to degut the PPP of its most popular leaders for the 2020 elections. It must be clear to all that apart from Bharrat Jagdeo, Anil Nandlall is the most popular PPP leader in the eyes of Guyanese, both in and out of Guyana.
After Jagdeo was disallowed of running for a third term, Anil Nandlall is the clear front-runner among the candidates identified. He has been championing the cause of the Party and the masses at every forum, including the Parliament, the court, the television, newspapers, social media and on the ground. Almost single-handedly, he has taken on the entire Coalition government. He has virtually destroyed the political career of Basil Williams.
Naturally, all guns are now pointing at him. Every intelligent Guyanese knows that the law books charges were trumped up against him because of his relentless criticisms and embarrassment of Basil Williams. From the inception, Nandlall indicated in a public statement, that he is prepared to buy a new set of the said law books and deliver it to the Ministry. This offer was rejected. They were bent on charging him.
Readers will recall that they even tried to implicate him in the Crum-Ewing killing. It shows how dangerous politics has become. Dr. Ashni Singh, Winston Brassington, Nigel Dharamlall, Dharamkumar Seeraj and a host of others are all charged and placed before the courts in this dirty game of politics. Irfaan Ali and only God knows who else will join the list.
Bharrat Jagdeo and Bheri Ramsaran were also slapped with politically fabricated charges. This vendetta will not stop until 2020.
Not unexpectedly, Kaieteur News provides a ready forum to publicize and exaggerate these character-destructive endeavours. Last Sunday, it carried a nasty story on Nandlall as its front page lead. The story quoted the opinion of Sanjeev Datadin, an Attorney-at-law.
I enquired from three different legal sources whether Datadin is correct in his assertions. They all advised me that he is dead wrong in the statements he made.
Firstly, there is no law, which disqualifies a person from becoming President of Guyana if he has a conviction. Cheddi Jagan and Janet Jagan were both convicted and jailed for criminal offences during their political careers. They were both elected Executive Presidents of Guyana.
Secondly, as regards a Member of Parliament, an MP is only required to vacate his seat if he is convicted of an offence and refuses to challenge that conviction or he has exhausted all legal challenges to that conviction.
Thirdly, the Judicial Review Act permits a challenge of any decision irrespective of whether there is a right of Appeal. So Nandlall is not even close to a conviction as the case is still ongoing before the Magistrate. And, under the Judicial Review Act, the magistrate’s decision to overrule the no-case submission is challengeable in the High Court.
Now that it is getting close to the naming of a Presidential Candidate for the PPP, the heat would be turned on Nandlall. There must be a reason why so much is being invested to tarnish his image. I am sure sensible people know the reason.
Yours respectfully,
Mahendra Hariraj M.Sc.
Editor’s note: Neither Dr. Cheddi Jagan nor Ms. Janet Jagan was ever convicted of a criminal offence.
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