Dharamlall’s attacks on the judiciary was orchestrated by the PPP hierarchy

Dec 30, 2021 Letters

Dear Editor,

Kaieteur News – Recent statements uttered by the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development against the Chancellor and the Appeal Court’s Justice regarding the High Court’s decision to proceed with the hearing of the PNC motion to challenge the 2020 election results are offensive, disgusting, and troubling. Minister Nigel Dharamalall had publicly condemned the decision rendered by the Chancellor of the Judiciary (Ag), Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Justice of Appeal Dawn Gregory. Not only did he characterised them as ‘politically biased and branded them as PNC activists’ but he also called on them to resign.

It is a racist statement designed to demean, humiliate, and debase the Justices and dishonour and degrade the judicial system, which is an independent branch of the government
It should be noted that since Minister Dharamalall has labelled two Black justices as PNC activists, by the same token, he has inferred that all Indian Justices in Guyana are PPP activists as well. The mere fact that President Ali did not rebuke the Minister for his dreadful remarks is appalling, inexcusable, and outrageous to say the least. It also suggests that President Ali is on the same page with the bigoted Minister when it comes to Black justices. It also means that the President and other senior officials in the PPP believed that only Indians and not Blacks are worthy of holding high offices in Guyana. This has and continues to be the motive of the PPP, which had campaigned on change and inclusive government.

The fact that Vice President Jagdeo supported the xenophobic, biased, and intolerant statement by the Minister clearly shows that it was orchestrated by the hierarchy in the PPP to belittle the justices and disparage the judicial system. Jagdeo’s disdain, contempt and scorn for Black justices is deep-rooted. He is of the view that the judiciary is inherent partisan against the PPP and that Black justices should not be allowed to preside over PPP cases, political, civil, or criminal. In his defense of Dharamlall, the doctrinaire Jagdeo said that, “the Minister was just expressing his frustration, which was impulsive, very passionate and I am not going to chastise him for expressing his frustration of which I too share.” Such silly and asinine statement could only come from the ex-president who for twelve years had marginalised Blacks.

The VP and his clique have the right to criticise the decision but no one, not even the President has any legal standing to call for their resignation or make personal attacks on them because they are Blacks. It is wrong and Jagdeo who had promised to change his bombastic behaviour should be ashamed. Him and the Minister’s behaviour are disgraceful, reprehensible, and dishonourable. They have no integrity left to govern the country and should do the honorable thing and resign. If not, they should know that the ballot is stronger than the bullet. In the words of the sixteenth American President, Abraham Lincoln, “this country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or exercise their revolutionary right to overthrow it.”

Regards,
Leyland Chitlall Roopnaraine