Dear Editor,
I ask that you please publish this letter in your newspaper.
Not withstanding his overseas trips with President Jagdeo even though he held no official portfolio of Government, and his subsequent controversial selection as the PPP presidential candidate, the more Donald Ramotar keeps talking the more Guyanese are given reasons to fear a Ramotar/Jagdeo bond that may result in some sort of a “special arrangement” in the making. I would like to respond to Mr. Ramotar’s views on the sad state of Guysuco but first I am going to give other Guyanese a chance to have a word on that. For now there is an ominous bell that rings here and it comes right from Ramotar’s statements on the Guyana constitution. I would like to focus on those for now.
On the Guyana Constitution:
Ramotar: “Our Constitution is probably superior to many Constitutions in the world.”
SN: Ramotar said some of the immunities can be looked at, but stressed that in all of the Constitutions across the world there is some immunity that presidents, “will have and have to have because of the nature of the office that they hold.”
This is a very ominous view of Donald Ramotar. In fact this is the presidential immunity in the 1980 Burnham constitution that both Burnham and Jagdeo have used to abuse the rights of the Guyanese people. It seems that Ramotar has no problem with it. Look at the company Ramotar is keeping! Meanwhile, let’s examine the part in the Guyana Constitution in question.
182:
(1) Subject to the provisions of article 180, the holder of the office of President shall be not personally answerable to any court for the performance of the functions of his office or for any act done in the performance of those functions and no proceedings, whether criminal or civil, shall be instituted against him in his personal capacity in respect thereof either during his term of office or thereafter.
(2) Whilst any person holds or performs the functions of the office of President no criminal proceedings shall be instituted or continued against him in respect of anything done or omitted to be done by him in his private capacity and no civil proceedings shall be instituted or continued in respect of which relief is claimed against him for anything done or omitted to be done in his private capacity.
(3) Where provision is made by law limiting the time within which proceedings of any description may be brought against any person, the period during which any person holds or performs the functions of the office of President shall not be taken into account in calculating any period of time prescribed by that law for bringing any such proceedings as are mentioned in paragraph (2) against him.
In contrast this is article II section 4 of the US constitution, where it states:
“The President, Vice President and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”
Guyanese you be the judge on what’s better, the US or the 1980 Burnham Constitution which is still written as above and applies to Guyana.
Recent statements from Ramotar indicating his willingness to have Jagdeo in a cabinet position give Guyanese much more than that to fear. Guyana already saw the manipulation of both the constitution and the presidency of Guyana when we had a president (Janet Jagan) resign for health reasons and instead of following the line of succession down to the prime minister which the constitution stated was next in line, we saw supplanted upon Guyana, a virtual unknown who came out of the blue in Guyana to become our president, who by now we all know, has had a disastrous effect on Guyana. Why should we fear that it could happen again? Because it happened before!
Imagine the Prime Minister suddenly becoming ill? Who is to stop a President Ramotar appointing Jagdeo as our new Prime Minister especially if he already holds a cabinet position, although he doesn’t even have to. Now imagine now a President Ramotar suddenly falling ill. Which document allows that the next in line who is the Prime Minister to become Guyana’s next President? The Constitution of Guyana itself!
So if you fear a Donald Ramotar’s PPP win could become a Bharrat Jagdeo part 2 presidency, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, you have the history to prove that it happened before and Ramotar is now providing countless clues that are now pointing to more than a possibility that it could happen—again!
Yours faithfully,
Roxanne De Cruiz