…on GECOM Head
The proclivity of the Government not to coordinate its responses on contentious national issues has moved from the tiresome to the “alarming”. Apart from confusing the populace to no end, it betrays a muddled mindset at the top. It’s elementary PoliSci 101 that leader huddle with their advisers – official and official – come to an agreement on the line to be taken and this is the hymn every sings.
Not with this PNC-led coalition Government. We won’t rehash prior instances like the pharma “warehouse” snafu but plunge directly on the “muddle du jour” – the GECOM vacancy. Now here it was, everyone thought the way we went about choosing the Chairman of this critical outfit was settled. After the PNC had been dragged, kicking and screaming, to accept “free and fair” elections in 1992, the formula was fixed by President Carter and accepted by Hoyte and the Jagan.
In the seven-person Elections Commissions, three Commissioners were to be chosen by the Government, three from the Opposition and the deciding vote in the event of a tie was the Chairman – who obviously had to be acceptable to both sides. In the end, he was THE MAN! Coming back to his qualifications, this harked back to the old criterion that he be “as sober as a judge”. It had given us the infamous Sir Harry Bollers – so subservient to the PNC’s first rigging machinations of 1968, Jagan called him a “toothless poodle”! Seems even a “sober” judge didn’t confer immunity to “inducements”.
Thus in 1992, Desmond Hoyte agreed to ADD an alternative to being qualified for the bench – “a fit and proper person”. Now if ANYONE should know what was meant by the formula – which was incorporated into the Constitution – it’d be Hoyte, wouldn’t it? He helped formulate it! Well, going along with the “fit and proper person” criterion he accepted Collins, Hopkinson et al…and in 2000 submitted the name of one David Granger! Who did attend UG, but NOT its law school!
And yet now comes the same David Granger, presently in a Presidential incarnation, and says Hoyte didn’t know what he agreed to and was committing illegalities!! What Hoyte REALLY agreed to was even the “fit and proper person” must be of judicial material! So Cheddi, Carter, Hoyte who accepted Collins didn’t REALLY know what they crafted! Who advised Prezzie?
Basil Williams, realising his principal’s faux pas, blurted out that Prezzie doesn’t REALLY mean what he’s saying.
He should also advise Prezzie that analogous to “judge made law, what we have is “President made law’ in selecting the GECOM Chair!
Prezzie must follow these precedents.
…on Chinese Day
At long last, good sense is prevailing and we’re commemorating the arrival of the Chinese to Guyana on its own merits rather than sneaking them in the weasel-worded, omnibus “Arrival Day”. This Eyewitness knows if he were Chinese or Portuguese, he’d resent being shoehorned with the Indians on May 5. Nothing to do with Indians per se…but that’s THEIR date, nuh?
Now the Chinese weren’t that many…but boy, did they make their mark of Guyana. What would we (or Policemen asking for a raise) do without fried rice??! But seriously, very early one the Chinese showed the nation what hard work and perseverance can do. If the factors of production are land, labour and capital, the Chinese showed how to leverage their labour and their time into capital.
Because they had almost no women in the early days being shipped as indentureds, the Chinese also intermarried with the local freed African population.
Guyana has been made far richer (and beautiful) for their descendants!
…and law school
Basil Williams did keep his word and Guyana seems to be one step closer to a law school. But why a public-private institution in legal education?
Your Eyewitness is wagering, the costs will be greater than Hugh Wooding. Mark his words!
