Dear Editor,
The Guyana Police Force has spoken on the Nigel Dharamlall affair, as alleged, and it is over. Due process, constitutional rights, innocence because nothing else can be proven, and so forth. Well, not so fast, folks. It shouldn’t be. That was the rapid police story, but there is still the party story to be dealt with, watch to see what the next steps are.
The GPF concluded: not enough to proceed against the man Dharamlall. Amid the disclosures of “inconsistencies” and the lack of supporting evidence from both human and other sources, the matter is over. Or it has gone stone cold dead. It was good to note that the Office of the DPP kept a healthy public distance from this alleged affair. What next? For one, I will be the bad guy. Comrade Nigel Dharamlall must be honestly scrutinized internally. I think, recommend to the People’s Progressive Party hierarchy that the visuals surrounding this whole sordid matter has not redounded to the party’s credit. Something should be done. There are some grounds, I believe, to justify taking some action, to save the PPP from the condemnations of women, feminists, all law-abiding citizens, and even some from the diplomatic corps. The latter do not speak out in public on developments like these.
For starters, in his own words, the PPP Executive Committee member spoke of a consensual setup. It is a peculiar one, considering that the accuser has informed the world of her orientation. She went to lengths to inform the one she accuses of this personal fact, but that did not have any deterrent power, according to what she submitted. If I may bell the cat, there is a gap here. Who pursued, stalked, came-on to whom is the question, and were such advances rebuffed, leading to what took place taking place. Something did, as admitted by both parties. The former minister himself admitted to such when he mentioned ‘consensual.’ The young woman detailed her ordeal. It should be of note that Mr. Nigel Dharamlall neither denied nor dismissed that there was such an encounter. Now, the question is when did the events in question, as claimed, occur?
Was it when she worked in the same ministry over which Dharamlall was the minister? If no, then the issue becomes moot, and the police conclusion stands. However, if the accuser was working at then Minister Dharamlall’s ministry, then there is still this stormy and sticky situation of a now disturbing relationship between a superior and a subordinate. Even if consensual, even with orientation, and other motivations involved, the matter now takes on another complexion. It is sickly. Who made overtures to whom? Who took advantage of the power imbalance, given the org chart? See what I mean? When this matter should fade away and die an untimely death in some forlorn corner, it gets richer. This is why I believe that the PPP brain trust must act. Since it is a one-man trust, it is easy and should be done in a blink. Reality check: this being Guyana, nothing is so simple; and this being the lovely PPP, nothing is ever that straightforward. One hang-up, to my understanding, is that Nigel Dharamlall is Bharrat Jagdeo’s go to guy. He just gives any job to him (I mean any job that makes the others run for cover), and it is done. How to send a comrade like him, with all this proven utility, packing? I wouldn’t want to be in Jagdeo’s position, but leaders take the bit in their teeth and either bite down hard, run with it.
Because Dharamlall is now radioactive, it is neither healthy nor wholesome to have him around. In Guyana, that is. Not one of such worth to the leadership. I would find a nice distant diplomatic posting for him. No work, but plenty of pay and playing time. The PPP must prove it is a moral entity, an ethical assembly. The PPP is law-abiding in ideals and practice. Let’s see what the PPP does.
Sincerely,
GHK Lall