Pouncing like an eagle on “not unacceptable”

Jul 14, 2019 Letters

Dear Editor,
The search for a consensual candidate or rather, six candidates to be presented on a list for the appointment of a Chairman for GECOM seems to be heading into oblivion. The advice from the CCJ that the Govt and opposition seek consensus in the appointment of a Gecom chair to facilitate the holding of elections in the shortest possible time has somehow been construed by the Govt that the president has the right to subscribe names on the list of six, from which he will eventually appoint one person to be Gecom chair. It does not require any degree of intelligence to figure that if the president is granted this latitude, he would obviously appoint someone he had submitted to the list- unilateralism in disguise. It is of little wonder that the president in a show of disdain or mockery to the entire process, included his CCJ reject, unilateral appointee James Patterson on his list, while he accuses the opposition leader for putting “forward candidates for the post who had been rejected previously”- the president’s words. Were the 18 people rejected on a one by one basis or a list by list rejection? The president did not give clarity, even while the CCJ ruled that he should have given reason for his rejection.
For argument sake! Had the president unilaterally appointed someone whose character could have inspired the belief of impartiality by the opposition, I do not, in retrospect, figure this matter being taken to the CCJ by the opposition. The idea of the opposition leader supplying a list of six names, in the Carter/ Price formula, for the president to make an appointment, was to give the appointee the impression that he/ she is indebted to serve two masters, (opposition and Govt) the strength from which the appointee’s impartiality is expected to flow. Unilateral appointments, is mired in the caved mentality of who” pays the piper call the tune.” Patterson’s performance or lack thereof as Gecom chair, is the epitome of service to one master as entailed by unilateralism. The above is simple logic, in this regard the president ‘s inclusion of Patterson on his consensual list, gives a clear insight to his intent to derail or delay the consensual approach to finding a Gecom Chair.
All the former presidents who were faced with appointing a Gecom Chair from a list supplied by the opposition, did so assumedly on grounds that they only needed one person on the list who resonated with them, bearing in mind that all persons on the lists were given the green light by the APNU’s opposition leaders. This president, in a grand display of wisdom above all the others that preceded him, found it expedient to pounce like an eagle on, “list not unacceptable to the president ”in Article 161, (2) demanding six flawless persons of impeccable character, known only to him on the list as his excuse to derail the process by making a unilaterally appoint. The truth be told, the language of the constitution (list not unacceptable) is vague here and was available for an Eagle’s take. It seems one certainly landed! Nevertheless! The constitution bounded back by granting a unilateral appointment only if the opposition failed to submit a list-the main contention for the CCJ’s decision-ousting the president’s unilateral man.
The Carter Centre had advised the Election Machinery be made into a truly independent body, like in other parts of the Caribbean, by taking it out of the control of the politicians and the executive but the craving for political control of everything Guyanese by both parties(PPP and APNU) had deterred the PPP from attempting and the APNU from asking. Hence the stalemate we are in!
“ With great powers, comes great responsibility”! This has never been a concept that resonated with dictatorial leaders. Character, impartiality and non allegiance are not qualities that are visible on people s garments nor is it reflected on the countenance of their faces. Add a “list(of 6 persons) not unacceptable to the President”, supplied by the opposition leader for a president with a prior mindset, to make his choice, using the above(character, impartiality and non allegiance) as a yardstick- the result has to be controversy.
Rudolph Singh.

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