Dear Editor,
On July 12, 2019, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruled that the no-confidence motion of December 21, 2018, was successfully carried. This finally put an end to the charade that our nation was being dragged through, that is, shameful insistence that not 34 but 33 votes constitute a majority of 65.
The PNC-led APNU+AFC regime has absolutely no concern for the image of our country. They spent millions hiring the top constitutional lawyers in the Caribbean to try to pull off a fraud. I can imagine what Caribbean people must think of us! And the lawyers they hired probably never had an easier pay day.
The undemocratic nature of the PNC came to the fore once more. Attempting to subvert the constitution, the rule of law and democracy leads to instability, social and economic decline.
This is no speculation, this is based on the experience of Guyana. It is a part of our history.
The PNC when in power from 1964 to 1992 rigged elections, stifled protests, even murdered political opponents, like Walter Rodney and others. They destroyed institutions and turned the judiciary into a toothless poodle. They did all of that to hold on to power.
The result was a bankrupt economy, a dictatorial political system where human rights were not respected. Our courts, among other state institutions, were all subverted to serve the PNC.
Our social system collapsed. Education was practically destroyed. As far back as 1974 one PNC Minister of Education was forced to admit that children leaving schools could not read and write properly.
Our teachers were not trained and the regime often failed to supply basic things like chalk. Under the PPP/C administration a lot was done to reverse that situation.
The same occurred at all our health facilities. Drugs were perpetually short, equipment and sanitary conditions deteriorated to unimaginable proportions.
During the late 1970’s and 1980’s we had more periods of blackouts than periods with lights. The joy of having lights returned after long periods, sometimes days, elicited screams in the community.
People were malnourished as demonstrated by the advent of beri-beri, an acute form of malnutrition.
In the meantime the elites in the PNC were living it up. Lavish trips abroad. Special planes were chartered to ferry the then President all over the world. Huge parties were held in various capitals, entertaining all and sundry to blunt international criticism of the massive violation of the human and civil rights of our citizens. That is why the budget for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was larger than those of Health, Education, Housing and Agricul-ture put together.
Corruption became institutionalized. That led the late Archbishop of the West Indies to say that five thousand dollars could do wonders in Guyana, including having files in the courts disappearing.
All that happened because of rigged elections which led to lack of transparency and the absence of accountability.
This is the same road that this APNU+AFC regime is once again travelling on.
And now that the CCJ has ruled and has ordered that GECOM and the Regime stick to the Constitution we see that the manoeuvres are continuing.
Unnecessary debates have started as to what is a caretaker government. The ruling elite seem not to only have a problem with arithmetic but also with English.
It appears that Granger doesn’t want a person from civil society to be appointed as chair of GECOM.
The cabal in government seems oblivious to the fact that their actions are having serious negative impacts on the life of the society. Business confidence is seriously shaken. The case involving Dipcon is the latest blatant interference in judicial life.
Many have commented on that case. That case has brought out some serious flaws in the regime. It lost a case that went all the way to the CCJ. It voted money in the National Assembly to pay the judgment of the CCJ, but did not pay. People are asking why? Some are even suggesting that it could be related to corruption.
After all they paid one businessman more than one billion dollars, not because they lost a case in court, but all he had to do was to write a letter threatening court action and they dished out the cash. Why now have they refused to pay for a case they lost consistently up to the final court?. Can the public be blamed for thinking that some corrupt intentions are the reason?
Further, the power of the President to stop a decision of the courts from being carried out was invoked to prevent the jailing of Minister Jordan. Those powers were never meant for cases such as this. It is an abuse of power.
All those actions are coupled with poor governance of the economy and the state generally, a good example is the closing of the sugar estates. These have had devastating impacts on people’s lives.
I urge the President to break out of this mould, show patriotism and call the elections now. That would show respect for the Rule of Law and Democracy and break the mould of the PNC as a rapacious and undemocratic party.
It would demonstrate to the world respect for our courts, particularly the CCJ.
Failing to act immediately in that direction leaves us with the same old, same old PNC.
Yours faithfully,
Donald Ramotar
Former President
