Dear Editor,
The public is well aware of the controversy which has erupted with my appointment to the Chairmanship of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA).
Now that the dust is settling over the ‘issue’ (we have reached the realm of humorous cartoons), it is now apposite of me to make the final (I hope) comment. After all, there comes a time when enough is enough.
In accepting the appointment, I was motivated entirely by my lifelong conviction that the livestock sub-sector could play a pivotal rôle in the economic development and diversification of the economy, as well as in the transformation of rural Guyana . This was also the vision of Mr Desmond Hoyte, the then Leader of the PNCR (who appreciated the concept of a GLDA, and who entrusted the architectural design of the authority to me), and the commitment of Mr Robert Persaud the current Minister of the Agriculture who recognized the wisdom of such a venture and asked me to chair the new authority.
Let it be known that prior to the acceptance of the appointment, I did three things:
Firstly, I sought and received independent legal counsel from and the advice of several scholars in jurisprudence and constitutional law, persons in our society for whom I have (and I dare say the nation has) the highest regard. None of the advice given to me suggested that (i) the two offices (full-time chairmanship of the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) and the Chairmanship of the GLDA) were incompatible, and (ii) there were any constitutional provisions restricting me from taking up the pro bono GLDA appointment. I acted on that advice which I felt to be sound.
Secondly, again following advice from legal luminaries and other political savants, I wrote to the leadership (letters dated August 23, 2010) of all the political parties in Parliament, and personally delivered to them the letters which contained the following paragraph: “Considering the political environment in which we operate, I would greatly appreciate your considered comments relative to my possible acceptance of this appointment as Chairman of the Board of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority. Nowhere in the letter did I seek endorsement. To date, I have received no objections.
Finally, I wrote to the Minister of Agriculture that my appointment as Chairman of the Board of the GLDA “should not be construed or interpreted as a subservience or a beholding to you personally or in your capacity as a Minister of Government.”
However, over the past few weeks, the criticism of my decision became more strident and, if I might state, perhaps even a tad self-serving and contrived. Whatever might be the motive, I cannot disregard the comments; and since I hold the Office of the Gecom Chairman to be near-sacred, I will do nothing knowingly that will undermine the public’s confidence in the commission or the inherent integrity of its chairman, particularly in an election year. My service in the nation’s interest was and is my only compass.
Accordingly, I have accepted the rescindment (letter dated January 12, 2011) of my chairmanship of the GLDA Board of Directors from the Minister of Agriculture.
I thank my fellow commissioners in Gecom for their continued support, as I look forward to a peaceful, transparent, free and fair 2011 general and regional elections within the constitutionally due date.
Yours faithfully,
R S Surujbally
Chairman
Gecom
