…and Venezuela’s border controversy
The Government has decided to publicise the facts about the border controversy Venezuela manufactured back in 1962. This decision comes in the wake of the new Secretary General of the UN’s decision to give the “Good Officer” process one more year – then he passes the matter to the International Court for Justice – the World Court.
That’s the route the PPP Administration had decided on and the APNU/AFC Government’s now then supported. So, World Court adjudication has support from both sides of the aisles – not a very frequent occurrence nowadays on matters of law! But a very vital one when it comes to matters foreign. It’s also imperative all Guyana get onboard – and public education’s the way to go.
This should’ve been done years ago. The Venezuelans did it so effectively their ridiculous claim has been an article of faith for them to such a degree, no politician dare even suggest the controversy can be settled any other way than Venezuela’s way! Their claim has even been inserted into their Constitution! We on the other hand know that we won’t give up “even a blade of grass much less a spring cuirass”!
Not a bad start, but what’s the basis of our position? Just because we say so? No…we need to be informed in the matter. The first thing our people must understand is why we should never say there’s a “border dispute” between us and Venezuela, but always a “controversy”. While this may sound like nitpicking – that’s the whole point. Now that we’ve seen Basil Williams base the entire fate of the GECOM Chairman on the meaning of the words “or”, “and” and “other”, we should appreciate the importance of words in legal matters.
A “dispute” is when two or more sides have a disagreement on interpreting a particular fact – but not about the existence of the fact. In the matter at hand, Guyana is saying – and has done so from the beginning – the Arbitration Award which demarcated our border with Venezuela is a FACT. While Venezuela has raised a “controversy” by asserting the Award isn’t a fact since it was void from the very beginning because of “fraud”!!
The Venezuelans then want the border demarcation to be done over again – and of course we have rejected this. At this time then, the matter we have to insist is going to the World Court is the dispute on the Arbitration being “void” and not the substance of the award.
Domestically, this might allow all Guyanese to also appreciate the “controversy” – but not “dispute” – Williams has created on GECOM!!
…and judicial intervention in meter outrage
A dead giveaway of a weak position on a claim is when one of the parties in court insists on answering the charges against them with legal technicalities rather than on the substance of the case. It just means they have no case and are trying to bluff their way through. We saw this on the Petition of a Citizen to the Courts to have a stay on the smart-men at Smart City Solutions from locking and seizing the cars of citizens.
On a technicality of the requirement to apply a COURT PROCEDURE which isn’t in place, as the Judge gave in his decision: should the Court be an “ass” to deny to citizens their right to redress for oppressive acts by the City administration? And it is to the credit of our upstanding member of the Judiciary to answer the claim by City Clerk Royston King – with a resounding “NO!!!”
The days when cases were thrown out because a “T” wasn’t crossed, are long gone!!
…and private schools
It’s no business of the State to tax children’s school fees. If private schools are making a killing with fees, tax them appropriately.
The decision to go after students rather than delinquent schools, smacks of bullyism of the weak.
