Volda Lawrence should not remain in office

Dear Editor,

It is very disquieting that Ms Volda Lawrence is allowed to remain in office given what she has done.  The Minister of Human Services and Social Protection’s infamous statement that “child molestation” in the case of Winston Harding was a family issue, collided with public sentiment and sparked public fury over her lack of judgment.  Ms Lawrence’s utterance overrode the rights of an innocent child and downplayed the seriousness of child molestation in order to cover up alleged wrongdoing by her APNU political partner, Mr Harding, who has been charged in this matter.

Ms Lawrence has no credibility and consequently she needs to resign.  In America, Canada or Great Britain, she would have had to step down in addition to extending an apology. The absence of such principled directives has allowed the powerful to trample on the ordinary man.  Ms Lawrence, however, is unremorseful and sufficiently pompous as to enlist her supporters to stage protests on her behalf.  Such protests are comical. Clearly Ms Lawrence has no respect for the Guyanese people and no regard for moral principles.

Ms Lawrence does not possess the requisite credentials necessary to run her ministry, yet President David Granger appointed her to the top post, a fine example of political patronage.

President Granger, like Ms Lawrence, operates without regard for rules and principles.

The public needs to shift its focus from Ms Lawrence to President Granger who is allowing her to remain in office. His silence speaks volumes about his stance on such pivotal matters.  We all know that President Granger is armed with the ultimate power to fire Ms Lawrence, but he has not done so.  Does he not know that his silence suggests that he endorses her behaviour?

Ms Lawrence needs to be removed from office.

Yours faithfully,

Drupattie Singh