Joe Singh did the ‘principled’ thing by resigning – Gaskin

By Samuel Sukhnandan

The resignation of Major General (retired) Joe Singh as a Presidential Adviser to the David Granger-led ruling administration has come as a huge surprise to many people; but for some, this was expected, especially coming from a man of such high standard and relevance in society.
Outspoken political commentator and economist Ramon Gaskin is one of those

persons who believe that Singh “did the right thing by resigning.” Gaskin has said it takes a man of principle to make such a move. According to Gaskin, given the circumstances, Singh did what was best for him as a professional.
“If the President didn’t feel he is a fit and proper person to be appointed Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) chairman, which is a position he had before, then he had no choice but to separate himself from that job. He cannot continue there. The man (President) said, ‘You’re not fit and proper’. So, in a sense he did the right thing, he did the principled thing and he left,” Gaskin opined.
Singh, also a former Chairman of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), was one of the 18 persons whose names comprised the three lists that were submitted to President Granger by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo. However, Singh, like everyone on those lists, was bypassed and an 84-year-old retired judge, Justice James Patterson, was instead handpicked by the President

to take up the post of GECOM Chairman.
Asked whether he thinks more persons would follow Singh’s example, Gaskin said he could not state if Singh’s action would encourage the other persons who had been shortlisted for the position of GECOM chair to follow suit; but he said those persons should understand that they are not considered fit and proper, and they should start considering whether they should continue engaging with Government, especially if they hold any positions.
“A lot of people, according to the President and his Government, are not fit and proper, and they are cowards not to come forward and say anything… They normally don’t, they will just suffer the embarrassment in silence; but Joe has taken a public position on the matter,” Gaskin posited.
Speaking about the resignation of Attorney-at-Law Christopher Ram, the eminent Chartered Accountant and vocal social activist who was on Government’s negotiating team for the establishment of a Law School in Guyana, Gaskin said he believes Ram did the right thing to follow in the footsteps of Singh.
“It is not paid work, and they think he is not a fit and proper person, and he wants to separate himself from them and from the free work he has been doing. He has every right to. The work he had with the Attorney General’s Chambers had to be of some value, because they have asked him to rethink his position; but it seems as though he may not go back on his word,” Gaskin observed.
Only recently, Minister of State Joseph Harmon challenged Ram, managing

partner of audit firm Ram and McRae, to consider withdrawing from those contracts which Ram and McRae has with any Government agency or the Government if he wants to indicate the seriousness of the withdrawal decision he has made.
Gaskin said Ram is a partner in the audit firm and the decision to withdraw has to be made by that firm, but that doesn’t mean Ram cannot have his own personal opinion. “These are separate things altogether. The firm Ram and McRae performs the service of accountancy and audit. If they get work and are paid, they do their work professionally. It doesn’t mean that partners in that firm can’t have different political views. I don’t see the connection at all, and what Harmon is trying to get at,” he opined.
Since the resignation of Dr Steve Surujbally last year, there has been an intense search for the next GECOM Chairman. As per the Constitution, Jagdeo had submitted three lists of six nominees each to the President. The first list, submitted in December of last year, had contained the following nominees: Governance and Conflict Resolution Specialist Lawrence Lachmansingh; Attorney-at-Law and outspoken anti-corruption advocate Christopher Ram; Retired Major General Norman Mc Lean; Business Executive Ramesh Dookhoo; Businesswoman Rhyaan Shah, and History Professor James Rose.
The second list, submitted in May of 2017, contained the following names: Retired Justice of Appeal BS Roy; Retired Justice William Ramlall; former Magistrate Oneidge Walrond-Allicock; Attorneys Kashir Khan and Nadia Sagar; and Captain Gerry Gouveia.Major General Singh, who has held several positions over the years, including Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph, was included on the third list of nominees, submitted on August 25. The other nominees were Attorneys Teni Housty and Sanjeev Datadin; vocal conservationist Annette Arjune-Martins, Onesi La Fleur and Krishnadatt Persaud.
That list was ultimately rejected by President Granger, and on Thursday, October 19, retired Justice James Patterson was sworn in as GECOM Chairman. Patterson was not nominated on any of the three lists, and since his unilateral appointment, there has been a crescendo of criticism. A number of individuals and organisations spanning a wide cross-section of society have soundly criticised and condemned the President’s unilateral decision, including the Guyana Bar Association; the Berbice Bar Association; the Private Sector Commission (PSC); the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA); and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).
Criticism has also come from the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) and members of the diaspora. In addition, the political Opposition has filed a legal challenge in the courts on Monday, seeking to revoke Patterson’s appointment.