Our institutions are failing us again

Dear Editor,
My attention was drawn to a release made by the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) in parts of the press on February 1, 2020. In that release, it is stated that the ERC “…condemned what is called the unacceptable conduct” over the past few days of purported supporters of political parties contesting the upcoming March 2nd General and Regional Elections…”
Here, as has happened so often in the past, the PNC/APNU has been engaged in hostilities at public meetings of the PPP/C in various parts of the country. The PNC/APNU/AFC have also been engaged in pulling down and destroying flags of the PPP/C in many places as well. Only the PNC/APNU is engaged in these activities.
Yet in the release of the ERC, blame is cast on all political parties. The ERC seems to lack the courage to say boldly that it is the PNC/APNU that is responsible for these hostilities.
Here is a constitutional body that is failing to discharge its responsibilities to the country.
If this was an isolated case, it may not have been worthwhile to take this issue up. However, it has infected our commentators and journalists as well. Fear of calling out the PNC for its misconduct is a pattern. Whenever they are forced to criticise their behaviour, it is always generalised. They blame the victims as well.
The ERC has joined other institutions in this seemingly cowardly behaviour. This deep flaw displayed by the ERC and many news outlets is seen in almost all our important institutions.
The courts are once again taking what appears to be partisan positions whenever they deal with issues that have political consequences.
It was noticeable that two courts in Guyana ruled that Mr Granger’s appointment of James Patterson was legal. This was at a time when people with only a spattering of legal knowledge saw that it was illegal. In fact, the Constitution was deliberately written for non-legal persons to understand it.
Without doubt, Mr Granger broke the law and disregarded our Constitution in naming Patterson for that position. It was obvious that Paterson was put there to do the bidding of the PNC/APNU. Yet, despite what was so obvious, two of our highest courts ruled it legal.
The PPP/C had to go to the CCJ where the decision was overturned. Much time was, however, lost and who knows what harm was done to GECOM.
Another glaring biased position of the courts relates to the PPP/C 2015 Elections Petition. It was never called up for hearing and absolutely no explanation was ever given for this disregard for something so important as an Election Petition, something that is given priority in democratic societies.
When you contrast that with the Elections Petitions that were heard and decided on in Trinidad and Kenya, even though those countries held elections after ours, then you can appreciate the conclusion of bias by the courts against the opponents of the regime. Look at the difference in treatment when the regime hatched trumped-up charges against PPP/C leaders. Quickly, almost with indecent haste, the matters were heard in our courts.

Added to that is the drama surrounding the No-Confidence Motion of December 21, 2018.
The decision of the National Assembly was challenged on the most spurious of grounds, ie that 33 was not a majority of 65.
In the court, the Chief Justice upheld the decision of the National Assembly as legal and proper.
The PNC/APNU appealed the case and unbelievably, two Judges in the Appeal Court overturned that decision of the Chief Justice.
Again, it must be emphasised that the law is not written in such a way that makes it difficult to understand. Any person with primary education would understand it. Yet, two learned Judges ruled in favour of the PNC/APNU. The reasonable mind must question that decision and contemplate where this country is heading.
The PPP/C had to, once again, resort to the CCJ to get that decision overturned.
Even then the regime continued to act with scant regards for our Constitution and our laws. The ruling of Guyana’s final court was given scant regard by an illegal regime that continued merrily along as if everything was normal. They entered into contracts for billions of dollars when, in fact, the CCJ said that the regime had to be in a caretaker mode. Billions of taxpayers’ dollars are being used for naked PNC/APNU/AFC propaganda.
The disregard is so open that a Judge was threatened in the court without any reprimand from the Judiciary.
The signs are really ominous.
The Guyana Police Force is another very important institution that is being undermined and subverted in the interest of PNC/APNU.
The SOCU which was set up to combat money laundering, has been de-professionalised and turned into an arm of the PNC/APNU. It has lost all credibility, it has lost focus and has become an instrument to harass, victimise and slander persons suspected of being anti-Government.
That is not all. The tentacles of the PNC/APNU is gripping the whole institution.
The PNC/APNU illegally intervened and halted the promotion of officers of the Police Force. This has completely emasculated the Office of Commissioner of Police and the Police Service Commission. It appears that the constitutional role is being sacrificed for PNC/APNU control.
This submissive position is also adopted by another very important constitutional body, the Integrity Commission. That body was established to promote integrity in Public life. This is an important institution for the moral health of our country.
This organisation is being ignored by this regime. Government Ministries and Government members of the National Assembly are ignoring it and just not submitting the reports that they are legally required to do.
Worst yet, the Integrity Commission is doing absolutely nothing about this. They just accept being ignored and seem quite content to sit like a useless puddle and disregard their own oath of office and the police are not acting to enforce our laws.
Much the same or worse is happening at the Guyana Elections Commission. Prior to this regime taking power, GECOM’s reputation was improving constantly. It had done a lot of good work that gave Guyanese confidence in that body.
Now we see that faith evaporating. From the moment that attempts were made to impose James Patterson as Chairman of GECOM, people’s confidence was shaken. In addition, the dismissal of highly professional persons from that body suggested that bias judgements were at work and the PNC/APNU was working to take control of that institution.
We must recall GECOM’s changing positions from the time of the No-Confidence Motion. Their first reaction was that GECOM was ready to hold elections by March 2019. Strangely as the PNC/APNU position changed so too did GECOM’s stance. It shifted to coincide with demands of the PNC, putting many obstacles in the way of conducting elections according to the Constitution when a No-Confidence Motion is passed.
This behaviour of our constitutional bodies today is a throwback to an earlier period of PNC paramountcy and dictatorship. At that time the institutions of the state were turned into an arm of the PNC. The PNC so-called Sophia Declaration of 1974 had described the Government as the executive arm of the PNC.
The control was so all-embracing that Ashton Chase, a man of great integrity and standing in our society, once commented of the behaviour of the Judiciary in that period. He noted that Judges no longer waited for orders from Burnham as to how to rule in particular cases, they began to anticipate what he wanted and delivered for him.
Today we seem to be moving briskly in that direction.
The consequences are well known. A broken economy, widespread poverty and a political atmosphere where fear and the suppression of free speech becomes the norm. People’s basic human rights are already being violated.
It is behaviour such as is being displayed by the Ethnic Relation Commission and others that results in the destruction of democracy and the promotion of dictatorship. Those holding important office must know this, they must be aware of the dire consequences for the people when they fail to discharge their functions fairly.
Our institutions have seriously let us down. They can only redeem some dignity by beginning to call a spade a spade and to discharge their duties without fear or favour!

Sincerely,
Donald Ramotar