Dear Editor,
Mr. Joseph Harmon, Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition Party, has called upon President, Dr Irfaan Ali, to confirm the appointments of Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire as Chief Justice and Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards as Chancellor of the Judiciary. The source of that idea was potentially explosive, but it was suppressed before it could create any political conflagration. It must be noted that the previous Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Carl Singh and Acting Chief Justice Ian Chang were never confirmed in their respective positions because Mr. David Granger and his colleagues blocked those appointments.
Emanating from a political leader who has not taken any viable position on any national issue that has traction with Guyanese, one is forced to wonder if his call was an act of desperation since he might harbour feelings of becoming irrelevant in the political landscape. Mr. Joseph Harmon and Mr. David Granger had five years to appoint Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire as Chief Justice and Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards as the Chancellor but chose instead to deviate from that path.
They wanted Justice Kenneth Benjamin of Belize to be appointed the Chancellor. It is my understanding though that the current Guyana constitution only permits a Judge working within the Guyana judicial system to be so appointed. Therefore, Mr. Benjamin would have had to first enter the Guyana Judiciary as a Judge and then be proposed as the Chancellor. Mr. Granger and Mr. Harmon did not follow the requisite process despite insisting that Justice Benjamin “will remain their choice for the top judicial post (SN: 9/15/2018).”
Given the failed candidacy of Justice Benjamin, there followed no movement from Mr. Granger and Mr. Harmon to have Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards confirmed in the position of Chancellor. Out of government, Mr. Harmon has made a political somersault in the expectation of gaining some traction and thus arresting his declining political influence.
The perplexity of Mr. Harmon’s position is illustrated by his claim that the President occupies office “illegally” but still advocates for the Chief Justice and the Chancellor to be confirmed in their respective positions by the “illegitimate” President.
Yours faithfully,
Dr Tara Singh
