This year has started badly. I say so as a lawyer who cares much for the Rule of Law. I say so as a party-member who cares much for the credibility and integrity of the P.P.P. which over the many decades since its formation has seen solidly staunch - never blind nor fanatical - support from three generations of Ramjattans - my grandfather, my father and now me.
It is only January, 2004 and I am still reeling on the floor. I say so as an ordinary Guyanese citizen who played my role in the restoration of democratic accountable government and who under such an order want to enjoy my right to know.
What a terrible beginning for the new year. I say so as a Parliamentarian who wants to see most desperately the development of a political culture which will, firstly, demand meaningful scrutiny of the Executive branch of Government, and, secondly, invent or initiate conventions into our constitutional and political practice for the purpose of resolving the inevitable problems the likes of which have presently emerged, in such a way that our Society will not be riven asunder.
The allegations concerning Minister Gajraj's association with a death squad, and the speculations as to why Minister Rohee cannot procure from the American Embassy a visa to enable him entry into USA are indeed so serious that they both require in-depth investigations.
Honest right-thinking Guyanese must not do an Annandale on such significant matters. Brushing aside with an intention to evade, avoid and hide by lashing out most intemperately at the media, among others, is wholly outrageous and infantile.
These issues must be confronted head on, responsibly and courageously. Whatever happened to the process of thinking through things, making hard assessments, rigorously intellectualising and then diplomatically pronouncing?
If men were angels and power had no corrupting influence, then I could have appreciated there being no big deal in side-stepping allegations directed at and speculations concerning our Ministers. But men are not angels! And power corrupts! Hence, the need in tempestuous moments like these that our constitutional machinery and political culture ensure that if indeed wrongs and improprieties have been done, then there must be the triggering of an acceptable process for finding out why they happened, and who committed such wrongs and improprieties, and the extent of such commission. We the people have a right to know, at the very minimum. And partisan politics must never be allowed to suppress the truth by emotively clouding the issues. This is the basic minimum the Rule of Law requires - that the powerful must never be above the law; they must also be subject to it.
This remains such a wonderful opportunity to trigger such a process which obviously and as a matter of normal course must take the form of an independent transparent enquiry. This will emphasise that the Rule of Law exists; and, that we have that key feature of responsible government namely individual ministerial responsibility. This will give my Party and Government such a credibility lift. And even if it does not result in the clearing of the names of the Ministers, the lessons learnt will be most instructive for our future leaders. They will be in possession of a compass by virtue of this experience, so that confidently they will know how to sail such political seas when venturing forth in time to come.
The truths discerned from such experiences, the lessons learnt and utilised, are what distinguishes the developed democratic world from our developing and sometimes moribund systems. We are fearful of enquiries, no matter how loudly we proclaim our innocence and denials. Why? And for what? Yet Prime Minister Blair, possibly the second most powerful leader in the world, can tell the Lord Hutton Inquiry that if there is any finding of even an iota of evidence of wrongdoing or impropriety on his part, he will forthwith step down as Prime Minister. Look at what the stakes are there and what the attitude of Mr. Blair is! This attitude is consistent with an even more benign case I am reminded of. In 1981 Lord Whitelaw, Home Secretary of the U.K., offered his resignation because an ultimately harmless man found his way into the Queen's bedroom in Buckingham Palace. His offer was not accepted. Now contrast that with what we have.
A big question is who will conduct this inquiry and what shape it will take. Our constitutional reform process which resulted in the establishment of parliamentary sectoral committees provides the best answer. Demonstrations, I am sorry, are not the answer. They can be transformed into occasions for brutalities and excesses.
These sectoral committees were set up especially for scrutinising the content and conduct of Ministerial policy and action respectively. They are given significant powers to command almost every member of the Executive to attend and answer questions; to provide documents and papers relevant to the issues at hand; to provide for the calling of witnesses to testify; and maybe even provide protection and security for witnesses testifying. This mechanism opens up a wonderful opportunity which Parliamentarians across the political divide must use to exact better governance and more accountability out of our Executive.
These are especially trying times coming so early in the year. And no time but the present is the best time to put our constitutional and political structures and machinery to work for the sake of our country and countrymen.