Ram slams Govt over non-appointment of service commissions

Outspoken political commentator and attorney, Christopher Ram, has questioned Government over its reluctance to appoint several constitutional service commissions, stating that the time has come for these important organs to be given new life to serve the interest of the Guyanese public.
Ram, who was part of the audience at the recently concluded 2017 Guyana Business Summit, posed a question to Vice President Khemraj Ramjattan: Why has Government not made any concerted effort to appoint the many constitutional commissions, which include: Police Service, Teaching Service, Public Service, Local Government, Integrity, Ethnic Relations and Human Rights Commissions?

The attorney further questioned whether this system of governance is tolerant, and whether these are matters of fundamental importance to Ramjattan’s Alliance For Change (AFC) party, especially given that the AFC’s 2011 Elections Manifesto had promised to deliver on constitutional reform, bill of rights, and a reduction in presidential powers, among other things that are yet to be realised.
In response, Minister Ramjattan promised that the AFC, part of the coalition Government, would deliver on constitutional reform. He said, “I am part of a cabinet, I am part of a Government; I take the blame, but there are certain reasons why as yet it has not happened. I wouldn’t want to get into all the reasons, but, indeed, I will tell you that it is a model that leaves some deficit there.”
He continued: “In relation to your question about serial violations, constitutional law always has as the ultimate penalty the loss of government. You do not cut out the hands of a politician because he has violated the constitution. You do not do anything physical to him…It is the people now (who) will determine: ‘They made serial violations, out they go!’ and that is what is always the case.”
The non-appointment of these commissions was described by the minister as a deficit. He said, “I will be the first to admit that it is a deficit in our regime. And yes, I take the blame as being part of the Government; but there are certain reasons why they all haven’t yet been established.”
While he did not give specific details, he did explain that the process of resurrection has started for most of these commissions.
Meanwhile, former AFC Chairman, Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes, has said the Government could be taken to court to secure rulings that are binding on the executive.
“Where they fail to respect the constitution they should be taken to court. You don’t need a sanction, because I would hope that we live in a country where, if the court declares that the Government has failed, then whichever Government is in office, if they don’t accept that ruling, then I would hope that they would not wait for the next elections, they would go the next day,” he said.
Hughes said Guyana’s Constitution is the most advanced in the Caribbean, but enforcement is a major problem. He opined that the legal community is “not sufficiently agitated” to take the Government to court.
He urged Government to uphold democracy and appoint these commissions with earnest, as their appointments are long overdue. The prominent attorney also said that, with constitutional reform and these various commissions becoming functional, it would help to strengthen the justice system. He said it could help to eliminate speculation and doubts about governance, transparency and accountability.