Dear Editor,
Any public debate between the Chairman of the Guyana Forestry Commission Mr James Singh and APNU MP Joe Harmon is most inappropriate. The GFC is a civil servant, not elected and must operate by the rules which govern his office. APNU MP Mr Joe Harmon outranks him politically. The MP reflects and has a direct mandate from the people. He would be stepping aside of his orbit to engage a civil servant who has no right to ‘debate’ an MP who is legally not so empowered or his equivalent.
The Minister of Natural Resources Mr Robert Persaud is the proper person to debate and account for Guyana’s natural resources. Parliament is the best venue with equal rights of publicity to all.
As a former GDF officer Mr Harmon would know and would not condone any officer who was not his equal to officially engage him in parity. It’s just not permitted nor is it the correct route of management. With the extensive alternatives in possession by the APNU MP, it would open Mr
Singh to a reprimand that he has overstepped his civil service mandate.
In becoming a Minister in any APNU government wouldn’t Mr Harmon be setting a precedent to civil servants under his authority to do their own thing in future? The GFC is not a political office as much as its chairman is with the best everyday expertise and the President of Guyana
has already addressed the issue. If the GFC requires additional resources to more effectively do its job, Mr Harmon may be its best friend to procure that for it in parliament. In Guyana we are the best experts in everything because we say we are. Who lacks the wisdom to be proactively looking out for Guyana? Certainly it’s not either party.
Mr Harmon has the additional power to submit his questions directly to the subject minister in parliament in addition to engaging him in private communication. That’s the democratic and parliamentary procedure. Engaging the GFC chairman must be avoided at all costs. It would add to the current gridlock should any within the civil service decide they are with similar authority. Can we in all good sense condone such a development? Whoever approved the GFC chairman’s challenge to debate the opposition MP was ill advised and must countermand with apologies to all concerned.
The rush to show who is the real ‘Timbah Man’ must not become another occasion for rancour. Right now the duo is more interested in promoting another boxing match by applause in the media. How many internet streaming dramas can we afford?
Yours faithfully,
Sultan Mohamed
