…on the Judiciary
The recommendation by the Bar Association that President Granger confirm the present acting Chancellor and Chief Justice raises once again, his high-handed modus operandi in governance. It is now exactly 6 months since he nominated – seemingly out of the blue – Justice Benjamin of Belize for the Chancellorship and to demote the incumbent Cummings-Edwards, to Chief Justice. What this did was to throw Justice Roxanne George – the present Chief Justice – under the bus.
Granger tried to cover up his arbitrary selection of Benjamin by advertising for applicants for the two positions. Something unheard of in the history of the Guyanese Judiciary. But who did he think he was fooling?? In every appointment decision for substantive positions in government over the last three years, Granger has shown he’d rather have one GDF ex-officer or another. The revelation that Benjamin was once a GDF officer back in the day just made Guyanese more cynical about his “politricks”. Granger, after all, would’ve inducted Benjamin into Burnham’s authoritarian philosophy of governance – since he was in charge of the indoctrination programme in the army.
Further revelations that Benjamin had some blots on his judicial copybook over in Belize, didn’t even earn a comment from Granger. His mind was made up – just as it was when he demanded the 80+ year-old Justice Patterson as his GECOM Chair. Who cares that he stretched – if not violated – the constitution to deny the Opposition Leader any input into the process. Up to now we see that what Granger wants – Granger gets – one way or another. The fundamental feature of democracy that “the other side must be heard” doesn’t seem to have percolated his consciousness.
Your Eyewitness figures army officer training doesn’t make democratic decision making one of its central tenets!! Decisions are made by the fella with the most stars or stripes – and you’d better carry them out since death by firing squad is the usual riposte!! Guess Granger feels he’s been pretty lenient up to now since he hasn’t shot anyone – yet!! And it’s clear Justice George has earned Granger’s ire, for handing in some decisions that went against him – and his erstwhile AG! But while not shooting her, Granger clearly intends to banish her. How dare she insists on her “perceptions”!!
Your Eyewitness is tired of pointing out concrete evidence of our slide into authoritarianism – without any response by ordinary folks. Like the trained tactician he is, Granger’s lining up his ducks one at a time to control key institutions of the state. The Judiciary remains the last one standing – and Justice George is the only block in his path.
Guyanese must stand up for her!!
…on petrol prices
How many times do the Guyanese people have to go over this government’s responsibility to moderate petrol-price spikes?? Why exactly did we form Guyoil? Just a spot to give some old PNC stalwarts like Lance Carberry tenure in retirement? When prices of petrol and petroleum products rise in the world market, private companies immediately jack up prices ostensibly to compensate for the rise – but actually to gouge consumers with price increases way beyond their increase in costs.
And this is where Guyoil’s supposed to come in. They’re supposed to cover just the actual cost increase and hold the private companies’ feet to the fire on price gouging. Right now Guyoil says it’s doing this; but after disaggregating the numbers, your Eyewitness thinks Guyoil’s still profiteering. What they’re doing is holding on to the profits for government to spend rather than leaving money in the consumers’ pockets for them to spend and stimulate the economy.
This spike in petrol prices in just another nail in the coffin of the ailing Guyanese economy.
