…control responsibilities
In modern democratic regimes it’s an article of faith civilians must control the military – in our case the Disciplined Forces. These forces – called that for good reason – are the “coercive arms” of the state – and in fact encompass the ultimate essence of what constitutes a “state”. Which is, they can, in the end, “do what they want wid you”!
So you handle the military very carefully since like dynamite, it can either help or destroy you. In fact one of the fears expressed before and after the 2015 campaign was the government was way top-heavy with military types drawn in by APNU’s and PNC’s leader Brigadier (rtd) David Granger – who’s now President and Commander of the Armed Forces.
To guard against military interference with governance, the constitution places line responsibility over the Disciplined Forces in the hands of the Minister of National Security. But because the Disciplined Forces – the Police, Army, Prison Service, Fire Service – are such a specialised institutions, those civilians placed in charge of them must take the time to become au fait with their idiosyncrasies and needs.
And all of this brings us to the performance of Khemraj Ramjattan in his role of Minister of National Security over the past year. To say he’s “clueless” would be an understatement. If you accept you don’t know something, maybe you can be helped to bring your performance up to scratch. But Ramjattan’s bombastical pretence he’s on top of the demands of his job has destroyed his credibility. Both in the eyes of the civilians, and of the Disciplined Forces in their barracks and stations.
Let’s consider his stewardship of the Police Force –the coercive arm that plays a ubiquitous daily role in the lives of most citizens. He’s consistently avoided addressing the need to professionalise the GPF. He insists in making cosmetic PR moves, which can only embarrass those who’ve long waited for a cleaning of that Augean Stable. Dogs and horses? Maybe they’re needed – but surely there are more pressing needs like delivering on the promise of “intelligence led policing”.
And what’s with the SWAT unit? Have they been withdrawn from Berbice where they were deployed with great fanfare to deal with an explosion in crimes there? Have we evaluated their efficacy? Does Ramjattan have a clear idea as what to deal with SWAT troops? Does he have scour of anything more than closing time for bars?
The nadir of his performance (up to now) has been his pandering to rebellious inmates at the Camp Street Jail.
All he did was to embolden them after they faced him down! The President must act swiftly and decisively: remove Ramjattan.
…promises and contradictions in government
After a year of stout (just look at the man’s Dhall belly!) denial by PM Nagamootoo, it’s again out in the open there are deep fissures between AFC and APNU in the coalition government. The cleavages are so gaping Trotman – who seems to be gunning for Harmon’s role – says they can’t be bridged in Cabinet. There needs to be a “retreat” where the rules and traditions of Cabinet won’t presumably stifle robust debate.
“Retreat” is, of course, also a verb – and this is just what Nagamootoo and colleagues will have to do when they get out of any retreat as a location. Since the Cummingsburg Accord was signed, sealed and delivered, the AFC’s been shown to have no clothes. (And it ain’t a pretty sight… Don’t you dare try to imagine the aforementioned Dhall belly, nekkid!). First there was their inability to deliver a solid majority to the coalition in 2015 and second, there was their catastrophic slippage in the LGE.
The AFC’s “dead meat”, with nowhere to go. Sound “Taps”!
…civilian carnage
Guyana has the world’s highest rate of suicides – that’s well publicised. But do you know we’re right up there with murders and road fatalities also?
So what are the authorities doing about our civilian killing fields?
