Dr Rupert Roopnaraine
The Working People’s Alliance (WPA) has dubbed as “Shameful”, the non-response from President Donald Ramotar to a letter written to him about the contents of the Terms of Reference (ToR) being used in the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry (CoI).
It has been three weeks now since the letter, signed by the WPA’s Chairman, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine and Executive Member, Professor Clive Thomas, was sent to the Head of State, outlining the party’s concerns over sections of the ToR.
Dr Roopnaraine said while Office of the President has made no formal contact with the WPA, there have been reports in the media regarding Government’s feelings about their objections to the ToRs. “That is shameful,” he lamented.
Concerns
The WPA earlier this month, had raised concerns over paragraph four of the ToR, which it said “strays a considerable distance from the precisions of paragraph one”. Section four of the ToR tasks the Commission with “examining the facts and circumstances immediately prior, at the time of, and subsequent to the death of Dr Walter Rodney”.
Dr Roopnaraine had questioned the time period defined in paragraph four (1st January 1978 to 31 December 1980) – qualifying it as being “immediately prior, at the time of, and subsequent to the death of Dr Rodney”. The party’s Chairman said that that section runs the risk of opening a Pandora’s Box that will guarantee an unwelcomed poisoning of the political environment.
Questions were also raised about the granting of an absolute pardon to persons who may have been involved in the death of Dr Rodney.
The letter said that “it would seem to have the Commission of Inquiry tip-toe in the direction of a Truth Commission, even while the Terms of Reference and the prevailing conditions fall far short of the complex requirements of a Truth Commission. Perhaps it is enough, at this stage and in our conditions, that it pins the flag of reconciliation on its mast.”
The party had also expressed concerns over the presence of Trinidadian-based Guyanese Senior Counsel Seenath Jairam on the Commission. Jairam, the WPA noted, was the lead counsel representing the Government in the budget cut case of 2012 before acting Chief Justice, Ian Chang. It said that his presence on the Commission would cause a conflict of interest.
