The opposition PPP is accusing Attorney-General Basil Williams of “flip-flopping” on the establishment of a law school, in the light of his recent indication that it is not a priority for the current government given “the type of economy” it inherited.
In a statement issued yesterday, the PPP said Williams’s comments, which were made at a news conference last week, contradict President David Granger’s commitment to law students to seeing a local school set up as soon as the time was ripe.
“Apparently Mr Williams did not hear, or is pretending he didn’t hear the instruction from Presi-dent Granger,” the party said.
It pointed out that previously Williams had boldly stated that a feasibility study would be done by himself and his office to determine if the opening of a law school here would be a viable option.
Further, it noted Williams’s comment that government is also looking at a public-private partnership in this regard and will establish a committee to look into it.
“So far so good, Williams was on the same wavelength with Mr Granger. However, later he became shifty… The APNU+AFC pendulum swung in another direction reinforcing the long held view that there is confusion and conflict in the camp of the coalition,” the party added.
Williams had made it clear to reporters that the APNU+AFC elections manifesto said nothing about the establishing of a law school and comments made by his predecessor Anil Nandlall in this regard are erroneous.
He did, however, point out that the former administration also refused to establish a law school here, although permission had been granted, because it would have had to pay equivalent salaries to what is given to lecturers in other Caribbean countries.
The PPP did not explain why it did not move to establish a law school during its time in government. It instead accused Williams and the new administration of trying to cast blame on the PPP, given that they have now found themselves in “hot water” having deviated from Granger’s instruction.
“We must thank Mr Williams for exposing the incompetence of the APNU+AFC Coalition administration for eventually admitting they are not up to the task as described by Anil Nandlall,” it said.
The statement noted that both Nandlall and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana Professor Jacob Opadeyi are in favour of the establishment of a law school.
“Here is a project for the well paid to work hard at getting the law school off the ground,” the PPP said, while noting the “sumptuous” hike in wages for ministers.
It urged that Williams “cease horsing around and start working on the realization of the law school here in Guyana as directed by President Granger.”
Local law students have urged that steps be taken to set up a local law school as soon as is practicable, in the light of the recent hike in their tuition fees. Because of Guyana not contributing to Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad, students have to pay the full fee. Things were further compounded this year after the fees were raised without prior notice. This left Guyanese students in a limbo and despite pleas, the government said that it was not in a position to assist students financially.
