Dear Editor,
It is not unbecoming for budding dictators to disguise their political action with lame excuses in the hope of sowing much confusion in a nation in order to perpetuate their roguish ways. If one listens carefully to President Ramotar’s prorogation speech, one can discern that he is using terms and conditions from a constitution that was introduced by way of a fraudulent referendum in 1978. To add insult to injury, it was this same Mr Ramotar and the PPP who criticized and condemned this unjust constitution vehemently over the years. So what manner of man would conduct himself in such a hypocritical manner in 2014? They condemned this reprehensible document over the years but today use it to legitimize their wrongful political actions?
As Prof Clive Thomas highlighted when this constitution was conceived, “It was created to serve one man,” and I might add, under conditions that were patently undemocratic in 1978.Dr Thomas further stated that under this constitution, whoever sits in the President’s chair “commands an array of powers far exceeding those of… even the former Colonial Governor.”
The PPP continues to operate as if they are not answerable to the people by proroguing a parliament at their whim and fancy although it is made up of the elected representatives of the people. They continue to ignore the people’s message that they cannot be trusted with a majority. They continue to stand by the immoral PPP ‘chatree’ (Kshatriya). But in the end they shall fail.
The power of prorogation originated in the British monarchial system centuries ago, when parliament was only an advisory council. Prorogation was used by the monarch to terminate the meetings of the parliament when the monarch no longer required the parliament’s advice. But President Ramotar has no such authority. He cannot dispense with the services of duly elected representatives of the people without asking the people’s permission at the ballot box.
At times the law can be an ass and this is one example of this where a president has prorogued an elected parliament in a most despotic fashion. From my reading of prorogation, its intentions are not designed for a democratically elected parliamentary system that is made up of bona fide elected representatives of the people who are chosen by the people. It was designed for different circumstances.
What was about to be revealed in parliament during the debate was going to be most embarrassing for the Ramotar regime. The evidence from this parliamentary interrogation would have caused the Ministry of Finance to be brought into disrepute, and quite justifiably so. The next session of parliament would have opened several other cans of worms. When this information would have reached the ears of the people, it would have caused a groundswell of people to abandon the PPP for generations to come which would have swiftly sunk the MV PPP Titanic.
It is my opinion, that the PPP chose dictatorship over democracy on November 10, and for that they will be judged as dictators, as they continue to use an immoral document to suppress the will of the people. I am convinced beyond any shadow of a doubt that the PPP will lose the next election even if they empty the Treasury by throwing buckets of money from the Bank of Guyana onto the streets.
Yours faithfully,
Sase Singh
