APNU+AFC’s bad faith renders CCJ toothless – Caricom must speak out

Jul 10, 2019 Letters

---

DEAR EDITOR,

Is the CCJ worth anything, particularly justice, in CARICOM? The CCJ is one of CARICOM’s most important institutions, but the behaviour of David Granger and APNU+AFC threatens the CCJ. In the games APNU+AFC plays to avoid an election, the CCJ is collateral victim, at risk of being a toothless poodle. In the circumstances, CARICOM’s silence is scandalous.
With the submission on Monday of the names of eight persons, Granger and APNU+AFC began another round of sheer sinister, Machiavellian games. They know they are betraying people, violating the constitution, acting above the law, contemptuously dismissing the CCJ’s authority, acting in bad faith. None of this matters, the goal is to buy time, to avoid an election which they morbidly fear, even as they insist God anointed them.
After the CCJ rebuked them for deliberately sabotaging the constitution, illegally, arbitrarily appointing James Patterson as GECOM Chair, Granger and APNU+AFC promised to comply with the CCJ ruling and work with the Leader of the Opposition, in accordance with the Constitution, for a timely appointment of a GECOM Chair.
GECOM without a Chair is already a national crisis; urgent action is needed. But Mr. Granger and APNU+AFC have no intention to comply with the CCJ and the constitution. The CCJ’s recommendation of informal dialogue between Granger and the Leader of the Opposition to set ground rules to aid and abet Bharrat Jagdeo to submit a list of six names, in accordance with the constitution, from which Granger could select a person “not unacceptable” to him, is being deliberately, maliciously misconstrued with one intent – delay the process for as long as possible. Neither the Constitution nor the CCJ allows Granger to submit names for consideration.
The Leader of the Opposition, with the interest of the nation at heart, agreed to dialogue with Mr. Granger to come up with a list from which Granger could find someone “not unacceptable”.
In that context, after meeting with Granger and agreeing they will start with an amended list from the previous three lists of eighteen names, Jagdeo submitted a list of eleven names, persons who, as far as I know and as far as anyone else knows, have never been associated with any political party, certainly not the PPP. This does not mean that any of these persons have not expressed their views from time to time.
While some of them, like Lawrence Latchmansingh, have been deeply engaged as professionals and never engaged politically, others have been critical of governments, both the PPP and APNU+AFC and previously, the PNC. It was up to David Granger and his representatives to show why anyone of these persons were “not unacceptable”.
A frank and fair discussion of these names which were culled from extensive consultation with civil society would have provided greater clarity and guidance for Jagdeo to select six names from which, at least one, could find favour with Granger.
Instead, Granger’s representatives refused to discuss the merits of these candidates and submitted an alternative list of eight names as recommendations for the Leader of the Opposition to select his six names for submission to Granger. Did this mean Granger has rejected the eleven names, again without giving reasons, acting in total rejection of the CCJ ruling?
The eight names Granger’s representatives arrogantly submitted for consideration do not meet the eligibility requirement established by the constitution and demanded by Granger himself, although each may have distinguished professional careers. It was Mr. Granger who said he will reject any person who has been in any way linked to a political party. Yet he authorized the submission of eight names of persons, some of whom have been more than casually linked to the PNC, affirming the principle that linkages to any political party is a disqualification, unless the linkage is with the PNC.
David Granger and APNU+AFC have no intention to change the gargantuan dishonesty, betrayal and bad faith negotiations they embarked on since December 21st, 2018. They continue to implement strategies and tactics that are loony, buying time, no matter what the constitution says, no matter what the CCJ rules, no matter how betrayed the citizens of Guyana feel.
It is time decent people, not only PPP and their supporters, get off the sidelines, stand-up, speak out, resist. It is time countries, particularly the ABCE countries, which were so vocal before 2015, demonstrate they genuinely stand for a democratic Guyana.
It is time CARICOM stops its historical support for authoritarianism in Guyana. It is time CARICOM stands up for its own institutions, such as the CCJ, because Granger and APNU+AFC are rendering the CCJ a toothless poodle.
Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

---

---