AG rejects ‘autocratic’ claims, shows functioning democracy in Guyana

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall has rejected claims from former Chancellor of the University of Guyana (UG), Dr. Bertrand Ramcharan, that the government operates in an autocratic way.
During his weekly programme on Tuesday “Issues in the News”, Nandlall used the platform to respond to the assertions made by Dr Ramcharan in a local newspaper.
He highlighted that the three branches of government – the executive, parliament and judiciary – are all functioning democratically.
He reminded that the PPP Administration was democratically elected into government and this was so declared by the highest court and the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
“So here you have a pronouncement that rejects Ramcharan’s classification and that’s coming from the highest court in the country,” Nandlall said.
Speaking to the doctrine of separation of powers, Nandlall turned his attention to the functions of the Parliament.
“Is Parliament performing its scrutinising function of the accounts of the government? Certainly!”
“Budgets are approved by the Parliament, supplementary provisions are approved by the Parliament… decisions are made by vote…,” he added.
He also spoke about various parliament committees, reminding that many of them are chaired by Members of the Opposition.
Nandlall also reminded that the Public Service Commission, Police Service Commission, Teaching Service Commission, and Judicial Service Commission are all appointed through a parliamentary process where all the parliamentarians have a say.
“So where is the autocracy?” he questioned.
Regarding the judiciary, the Attorney General said judges are appointed through a transparent and fair process and that the chancellor and chief justice are appointed by an agreement between the president and leader of the opposition.
He added that the judiciary enjoys financial independence.
Nandlall also contended that the judiciary is functionally independent, as he defended his and the government’s right to criticise certain rulings. “That is a democratic right of a government,” Nandlall said.
“The judiciary is free to rule how it wants. The government is free to criticise the judiciary,” he added, noting that such criticisms must be respectful.
The attorney general also referred to the country’s constitution, saying “it meets all the international requirements in respect of constitutions that govern other countries.”
He added that it is more “liberal, more democratic and more advanced” than any other country in the Caribbean.
According to Nandlall, “Guyana has the constitutional architecture in place that qualifies it as a democracy and not an autocracy.”
Nandlall also argued that the fact that Ramcharan got his assertions published in the press is evidence that democracy is alive in the country.
“You think if we were an autocratic regime, he could have published that?”
He noted that many organisations have also been freely engaging in activities that are anti-government and anti-development.
“You ever hear one day the government taking any steps against (them)?”