The real reasons for the President’s unilateral appointment are clearer now

Dear Editor,
I now understand why President David Granger deemed myself and 17 other qualified citizens as not “fit and proper” to sit in the GECOM Chair.
Justice James Patterson (rtd), Granger’s unilateral pick for the office, revealed himself in a letter to the press (Kaieteur News, March 6, 2018) to be a person of low character, lacking in good manners, and devoid of all decorum and professional courtesies.
It would be unbecoming of me or any decent person to repeat the words used by Patterson in what was a public assault on Auditor General Deodat Sharma’s person and professionalism. His pompous verbosity is revelatory and completely missed the intended mark of humiliating AG Sharma. Rather, Patterson humiliated himself.
If Patterson were a private citizen, his noxious verbiage would be a matter for his friends and family to deal with. However, Granger has foisted him onto the Guyanese public as the most “fit and proper” person to hold the all-important position of the GECOM Chair.
AG Sharma, in his contact with Patterson as a professional, probably assumed that Patterson would act with professionalism and that, as a senior member of the legal fraternity, would be most concerned about any financial improprieties uncovered by the State audit into GECOM’s accounts. He also probably assumed that Patterson would move to have such matters fully investigated in order to ensure the probity of the GECOM office.
As all Guyana has discovered through Patterson’s own words, AG Sharma’s assumptions were wrong. That Granger chose to place a man who has exposed himself as pompous, boorish, and unprofessional to oversee a vital national institution is revelatory in itself.
As old people say, “Mouth open, story jump out” and if Patterson is Granger’s idea of what makes for a “fit and proper” person, then I am very happy to concede that I never did fit that bill.

Sincerely,
Ryhaan Shah