Our institutions are failing us again

Feb 08, 2020 Letters

---

DEAR EDITOR,

My attention was drawn to a release by the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) in parts of the press on February 1st, 2020. In that release, it is stated that the ERC “…condemned what is called the unacceptable conduct over the past few days of purported supporters of political parties contesting the upcoming March 2nd General and Regional elections…”
Here, as has happened so often in the past, the PNC/APNU has been engaged in hostilities at public meetings of the PPP/C in various parts of the country. The PNC/APNU/AFC have also been engaged in pulling down and destroying flags of the PPP/C in many places as well. Only the PNC/APNU is engaged in these activities.
Yet, in the release of the ERC, blame is cast on all political parties.
The ERC seems to lack the courage to say boldly that it is the PNC/APNU that is responsible for these hostilities. Here is a Constitutional body that is failing to discharge its responsibilities to the country.
If this was an isolated case, it may not have been worthwhile to take this issue up. However, it has infected our commentators and journalists as well. Fear of calling out the PNC for its misconduct is a pattern. Whenever they are forced to criticise their behaviour it is always generalised. They blame the victims as well.
The ERC has joined other institutions in this seemingly cowardly behaviour. This deep flaw displayed by the ERC and many news outlets is seen in almost all our important institutions.
Mr. Granger’s appointment of James Patterson as GECOM Chairman was illegal. In fact, the Constitution was deliberately written for non-legal persons to understand it.
Without doubt, Mr. Granger broke the law and disregarded our Constitution in naming Patterson to that position. Yet, despite what was so obvious, two of our highest courts ruled it legal.
The PPP/C had to go to the CCJ where the decision was overturned. Much time was, however, lost, and who knows what harm was done to GECOM.
Another less than encouraging position of the courts relates to the PPP/C 2015 Elections Petition. It was never called up for hearing and absolutely no explanation was ever given for this disregard for something as important as an Election Petition, something that is given priority in democratic societies.
When you contrast that with the Elections Petitions that were heard and decided on in Trinidad and Kenya, even though those countries held elections after ours, then you can appreciate the concern being expressed. Look at the difference in treatment when the regime hatched trumped up charges against PPP/C leaders. Quickly, almost with indecent haste, the matters were heard in our courts.
Added to that is the drama surrounding the No Confidence Motion of December 21, 2018. The decision of the National Assembly was challenged on the most spurious of grounds, i.e. that 33 was not a majority of 65.
In the court, the Chief Justice upheld the decision of the National Assembly as legal and proper.
The PNC/APNU appealed the case and unbelievably, given the ruling at the next level of court, the PPP/C had to, once again, resort to the CCJ to get that decision overturned.
Even then the regime continued to act with scant regard for our constitution and our laws. The ruling of Guyana’s final court was given scant regard by an illegal regime that continued merrily along as if everything was normal. They entered into contracts for billions of dollars when, in fact, the CCJ said that the regime had to be in caretaker mode.
Billions of taxpayers’ dollars are being used for naked PNC/APNU/AFC propaganda.
The disregard is so open that a judge was threatened in the court without any reprimand from the judiciary. The signs are really ominous.
The Guyana Police Force is another very important institution that is being undermined and subverted in the interest of PNC/APNU.
The SOCU, which was set-up to combat money laundering, has been de-professionalised. It has lost all credibility, it has lost focus, and has become an instrument to harass, victimise and slander persons suspected of being anti-government.
That is not all. The tentacles of the PNC/APNU are gripping the whole institution.
The PNC/APNU illegally intervened and halted the promotion of officers of the Police Force. This has completely emasculated the institution’s upper echelons.
This submissive position is also adopted by another very important Constitutional body, the Integrity Commission. That body was established to promote integrity in Public life. This is an important institution for the moral health of our country.
This organisation is being ignored by this regime. Government ministries and government members of the National Assembly are ignoring it and just not submitting the reports that they are legally required to do.
Worst yet, the Integrity Commission is doing absolutely nothing about this. They just accept being ignored and seem quite content to sit like a useless poodle.
Much the same or worse is happening at the Guyana Elections Commission. Prior to this regime taking power, GECOM’s reputation was improving constantly. It had done a lot of good work that gave Guyanese confidence in that body.
Now we see that faith evaporating. From the moment that attempts were made to impose James Patterson as Chairman of GECOM, people’s confidence was shaken. In addition, the dismissal of highly professional persons from that body suggested that biased judgments were at work and the PNC/APNU was working to take control of that institution.
This behaviour of our constitutional bodies today is a throwback to an earlier period of PNC paramountcy and dictatorship. At that time, the institutions of the state were turned into an arm of the PNC. The PNC’s so-called Sophia Declaration of 1974 had described the government as the executive arm of the PNC.
The control was so all-embracing that Ashton Chase, a man of great integrity and standing in our society, once commented on the behaviour of the judiciary in that period. He noted that judges no longer waited for orders from Burnham as to how to rule in particular cases, they began to anticipate what he wanted and delivered for him.
The consequences are well known. A broken economy, widespread poverty and a political atmosphere where fear and the suppression of free speech become the norm. Today, people’s basic human rights are already being violated.
It is behaviour such as is being displayed by the Ethnic Relations Commission and others that results in the destruction of democracy and the promotion of dictatorship. Those holding important office must know this, they must be aware of the dire consequences for the people when they fail to discharge their functions fairly.
Our institutions have seriously let us down. They can only redeem some dignity by beginning to call a spade a spade, and to discharge their duties without fear or favour!
Former President
Donald Ramotar

---

---