Dear Editor,
The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will hand down its ruling in the no-confident cases this morning at 10:00h.
The matters relate to critical Constitutional cases heard by institution, on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition of Guyana and other stakeholders. There is a general expectation that the decisions will be keenly and anxiously observed across the region, in the international community, and one nationally allowing democracy to breathe in Guyana once again.
On this day of reckoning, the relevance of these decisions will bring our dear country to an uneasy standstill. The foci of Guyanese on several fronts will be to witness firsthand the establishment of a critical restart point, given the repressive suppression the nation has had o endure under the hands of the APNU/AFC Coalition government within the past four years.
The pronouncements no doubt, put a halt on the excessive attempts of manipulation and abuse of the Guyana legal system by Attorney General Basil Williams, whose intent is the deliberate delay of the inevitable National and Regional Elections.
President Granger has been accommodative of the sinister ploy. His overwhelming silence is thunderous as the unashamed Basil Williams, plays the lead role of desperately bending legal limits to effect delaying tactics on behalf of the coalition. Recently, a most slack and irresponsible position was Basil Williams’ request to introduce what he says is new evidence in the appeal dealing with the controversial passage of the December 21 NCM against government.
He advanced this shameful attempt of overreach, although the CCJ had completed hearing arguments almost a month prior. Thankfully, the Court rejected his request for leave in this respect.
Concurrent however, is the deepening of the cesspit and ridiculous upsurge of the Coalition Governments miss-management of resources and flagrant uninhibited corruption. The time has come forthwith, to cease this saga of APNU/AFC coalition encouragement and facilitation of more and more corruption, and dodging and delaying of national elections.
It was of course the APNU/AFC overload and poisoned chalice empty promises, which influenced the Opposition leader successfully challenge of the Coalitions’ failed performances using the No-Confidence Motion (NCM). The nation will recall that during the debate of the December 21, 2018 Motion, the Coalition Members of Parliament characteristically, did not even bother about answering the Oppositions evidence-based charges.
Rather, they haughtily created a fiasco of unheralded responses based on the Collation having 33 voters compared to the Oppositions 32.
Since the passing of the NCM, there has been marked increases in the display of executive excessive lawlessness, rather than the Government trying to pull their act together. Their uncaring behavior and corruption filled maneuvers in essence, constitutes an acknowledgement of their illegal nature. It is as if key positioned agents of the government, are themed to conduct major ‘hustles’ in lieu of in exorable expulsions. It is an outright bullish dictatorial affront to the will and constitutional rights of the Guyanese people, which the CCJ’s ruling should urgently ensure and prevent.
The Opposition has been rightfully, hard at work exposing components of the collation’s cover-ups and less than transparent government imbroglios. Among the recent are several highly questionable areas, which the government have signaled either that they do not care or has been excessively silent. There is the vulgar motion of recognition in the National Assembly, of former (deceased) PNC Member of Parliament Abdul Kadir, who was internationally publically denounce and convicted as a terrorist in the USA.
This have provided mixed signals of the Governments’ commitments to our past and assented to terrorist legislation. Notably, links to Mr. Kadir is now the subject of serious corruption investigation, according to a popular media caption; ‘Customs Officer suspended after collecting fuel tax in hotel room’.
Another serious matter is the reported confirmation by Mr. Harmon of the Government’s arbitrary firing of PSM staff, and then moving to conduct investigations. The firing of all these senior staff is unacceptable; more so, since Political activists David Hinds as a declared WPA member of the Coalition, described the dismissed staff are being described as PPP ‘moles’.
Further, the public is questioning the allegation that the children of a Senior Minister allegedly received over US $86,000 in 2018, being monies transferred from the Department of Public Service. That already for 2019, the Public Service Division transferred $2, 510,575 to another child of the same Minister who Mr. Granger recently re-assigned to the same Office of the President. It is time that the Government comes clean about these sums totaling over 20 million dollars.
The re-appointment of the Senior Officer sent on investigative leave because of serious irregularities at the Central Procurement Office, provides more questions than answers regarding the Government’s procurement violations.
Further, the Prime Minister’s decision to reinstate Sherod Duncan at the Chronicle after serious misconduct, are clear signs of the APNU/AFC willingness to condone corruption. At the Ministry of Education, even the printing of our children exercise and textbooks is tainted with serious irregularities. At the University of Guyana, again our people are making serious allegations about corruption. There is now an environment in which the APNU/AFC agents are grabbing and taking what they can get from the National coffers and the staff are reporting thief and more thieving.
As our people are prepared for National and Regional Elections there are allegations that are more serious and the issues, which demand be cleared at GECOM or this situation can get very explosive. Citizens must therefore welcome the CCJ’s rulings on Tuesday and resolve in plurality, to eliminate our oppressors and rid Guyana of the Corrupt APNU/ AFC Cabal with free and fair elections.
Sincerely,
Neil Kumar
