Presidential powers need to be substantially reduced

Nov 20, 2021 News

….since Constitution makes individual a Superman—Ram

Kaieteur News – While not supporting an outright rewrite of the Constitution of Guyana, Chartered Accountant and Attorney-at-Law, Christopher Ram, does believe there needs to be reforms with a view to putting in place more safeguards and to substantially reduce the powers of the President.

Presidential powers need to be substantially reduced

According to Ram, Guyana needs “to move away from a system where the President is a superman, which is the same model that [Forbes Burnham] wanted.
Ram’s assertions were voiced earlier this week when he appeared as a guest on David Hinds’ Online Broadcast of Politics 101, and was asked his views on the need for a complete rewrite of the constitution in a fashion that addresses governance, outdated laws, and eliminates any remnants of colonialism.
To this end, Ram responded “I do not think we need a complete rewrite of our constitution” and while acknowledging that there are some provisions in place that serve as guardrails, these need to be bolstered.
As such, in calling for the reduction in the powers of the person that holds the office of Executive President, Ram recalled that in the constitution, as constructed under Burnham, “he wanted to, he must pay no taxes, (and) nobody can take him to court and all these things.”
Moreover, he observed that, though, as a whole “some of that has been changed” there’s “still the fundamental structure of the constitution where the president practically has (all) the power.”
He drew reference to the fact that the President is not only a Member of Parliament, “he is the executive, he is just about everything.”
Thus, Ram posits that “we need to reduce substantially the powers of the President.”
Government had earlier this year constituted the Parliamentary Constitutional Reform Committee with Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General, Anil Nandlall as the Chairman.

The Committee was mandated to continually review the effectiveness of the working of the Constitution and make periodic reports to the National Assembly, with proposals for reforms as necessary.
Among the list of Committee members are Education Minister, Priya Manickchand; Sports Minister, Charles Ramson; Public Service Minister, Sonia Parag; and Member of Parliament (MP), Sanjeev Datadin.
Representing the Opposition on the Committee are MPs Khemraj Ramjattan, Raphael Trotman and Nicolette Henry, along with Amanza Walton-Desir.

Chris Ram

To assist in its work, the Committee has the power to co-opt experts or enlist the aid of other persons of appropriate expertise, whether or not such experts or other persons are members of the National Assembly.
Both of the major political parties, the governing People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) and the A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) have, for years peddled a rhetoric of undertaking constitutional reform, as recorded in the recent and past manifestos of both parties.
The previous Constitutional Reform Committee was headed by the then AG, Basil Williams and consisted of familiar faces – Ramjattan, Trotman, Henry, and then Public Service Minister Rupert Roopnarine, along with the new AG, Minister Manickchand, Health Minister Frank Anthony and MP Adrian Anamayah.
However, that Committee boasted a scanty track record, as it met less than seven times in five years, as the records show.

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