Empower the Public with Constitutional Reform

Feb 08, 2024 Letters

Dear Editor,

Kaieteur News – No leader should be above the law. In authoritarian countries, rulers did and or are acting as despots, violating human rights and even murdering people. The people have virtually no rights. We had our experience in Guyana during the dictatorship.

In truly democratic countries, especially in the advanced economies, powers of rulers are curtailed. Rulers are held to account for their behaviour in and out of office. In UK, Canada, and USA, where more Guyanese reside than in Guyana itself, former and even present rulers are not immune from investigation and prosecution of acts (even official ones) while in office. Last December, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and present PM Rishi Sunak were hauled before an autonomous agency investigating their conduct in office during the COVID-19 pandemic.

They could be prosecuted if they willfully broke the law. A repo is due. Then President Bill Clinton of America was investigated by Congress during the late 1990s and also hauled before a Special Prosecutor for having sexual relations in public office and lying about it. The late President Richard Nixon was also hauled before the court during the 1970s and was granted amnesty from prosecution by his successor Gerald Ford. Former President Donald Trump has been hauled before the court for (alleged criminal conduct) on January 5 2021 and on other days in November relating to the November 2020 elections; he has even been denied nominations (in the primaries) on the ballot in a few states for the 2024 elections because of his actions while as President. He has mounted appeals on his prosecution and denial of his name on the ballot. These will eventually be heard by the Supreme Court as it relates to immunity; they are likely to be reversed.

In Guyana, Presidents, Ministers, and other officials were known to claim immunity from prosecution even when they violated laws and the constitution itself. The constitution grants nearly unlimited powers to the President, a constitution that was never approved by the population in a free and fair referendum. And the rulers (with the exception of Dr. Jagan) were known to flaunt their powers, going back to Burnham who was responsible for the creating of this monstrous all-powerful constitution and ruler. Rights have been repeatedly violated during and after his tenure post 1985. Ministers were known to flaunt their powers, belittling and or insulting staff and the public since the creation of the constitution in December 1980. They have disrespected and disregarded the public. Virtually no Minister or President was ever held accountable for their illegal or improper actions. The racial division of the society makes it almost impossible to hold rulers accountable at the ballot box.

Isn’t it time that the politicians and the public at large consider limiting the powers of the Chief Executive and empowering the population regardless of which party controls the Presidency or parliament? Should we not have constitutional reform to empower the people and limit the power of politicians?

Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram

and USA, Canada, Then President Bill Clinton of America, UK, Vishnu Bisram, with the exception of Dr. Jagan, Yours truly

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