Dear Editor,
I compliment you on the editorial entitled “The lighter side of crime” published in the Stabroek News dated July 27, 2010.
I wish to add if you will permit me, another dimension to Mr. Rohee’s unparalleled genius.
I observed in the newspapers and in the Official Gazette a notice under the signature of Mr. Rohee in which he purports to declare Sunday 1st August, 2010 to be a public holiday. This notice states that it is made pursuant to the Public Holidays Act Cap.
19:07.
The Public Holiday Acts a short Act – only 7 sections. Section 3(1) identifies certain days as public holidays. At the very beginning of that section it is stated:
“the following days shall be public holidays, namely – every Sunday etc”
Under section 6 of the Act, the Minister may by notification in the gazette appoint any day to be observed as a public holiday in addition to or in substitution for any day mentioned in section 3.
So since Sunday is already a public holiday under section 3 of the Act, there was no need for Mr. Rohee to so declare it again. He is only required to do so if, he was substituting Monday for or making Monday a holiday in addition to Sunday.
I think that Mr. Rohee would have been better advised to simply issue a press release stating that the Emancipation Day holiday would be observed on Sunday the 1st August, 2010.
But to attempt to declare a day a public holiday that is in fact already by law a public holiday is somewhat ridiculous.
I think that the goat that Mr. Rohee said did not bite him might in the circumstances consider itself fortunate.
Yours faithfully,
Bibi K Nandram
