Dear Editor,
The KN article captioned `Battle lines drawn in Parliament…House Speaker warns Luncheon not to provoke a constitutional crisis’, and dated 10/20/2012 provides yet another glaring example of the PPP/C government’s disregard and disrespect for the people of Guyana.
As if they have not created enough mayhem in the country, it was reported in the KN article referred to above, that Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, after his infamous “rumble comment”, made it clear that “Govern-ment was not happy with how the National Assembly is being run and that President Ramotar could very well not assent to any Bills passed by the National Assembly that do not find favour with the government”.
Now if this statement of the government does not arouse a feeling of outrage on the part of right thinking Guyanese, then I can only assume that we have all either come to accept the disrespect towards us, by this PPP/C regime, as normal or that we have decided to throw up our arms and allow this unconscionable government to disregard us with impunity. Regardless of which of the two positions we accept as the reality, the indication will be that we are subjecting our young people to settle for national leadership which touts bullyism and expresses open disregard for their intellect and dignity as reasonable human beings.
The notion that any bill passed in the National Assembly must first find favour with the PPP/C government before President Ramotar will sign it is tantamount to sabotage of the National Assembly!
In a situation like this the priority for any reasonable government would be to work towards meaningful cooperation, seeking consensus and pursue collaboration rather than ‘bullyism’.
So why does the Office of the President think, it can openly broadcast this reckless intention of the president and government? Why did Dr. Luncheon and the PPP/C government think that they can make a deliberate decision to broadcast an intention on the part of the administration to impede the work of the parliament, and suppress the will of the people? Why does the PPP/C government believe that it can stymie or retard the development of the law and delay the orderly functioning of the Guyanese society?
We have seen the PPP/C government come out and robustly defend its disgraceful and worthless act of copywriting other people’s work, the infamous text book scam. My position on this shameful act is that it was wrong for the government to even contemplate such an act. Sadly, they embarrassed all of us when they committed this most unimaginable act and then had the gall to justify the iniquitous by stating that stealing the intellectual property of another is the only way the government can provide text books to students in public schools, what a shame!
I guess the lotto money is washed, away or is deposited in someone’s personal bank account. If this is the only way the government can attempt to equip our children with necessary text books then the intellectual paucity and moral bankruptcy of those who lead this country are, sadly exposed. Our children deserve a whole lot better! I deem this recent copyright fiasco another ill-fated revelation of this government’s discounting of the people. Clearly, the PPP/C government did not even consider the views and shared values of the people, with respect, to this most disgraceful act.
They seem to care not what we think about them belittling us to the rest of the world! Guyanese must not allow these disgraceful acts to go without condemnation as they are likely to cast all of us in a bad light. We must let those watching know that, in no way, do these disgraceful and immoral acts of the government reflect the moral character or principles of the people.
With the recent attack by the Guyana Government, on the National Assembly, I urge the parliament to refuse to be intimidated by the stated position of the PPP/C administration. The bills passed by the people, for the people must not be subjected to the biases, arrogance, intimidation tactics, ‘political gaming’ and bully tactics of the PPP/C.
It is time Guyanese stand up in defence of that very important doctrine of ‘Separation of Powers’ implicit in our constitution. The recent verbiage out of the office of the president, via the HPS, in my mind, serves as a direct attack on that most noble principle which reminds us that the three branches of the state, though they might be related in some aspects, are distinct and separate.
Yours faithfully,
Lurlene Nestor
