The
daily degeneration of state behaviour
Dear Editor,
I write this letter in admiration of Khemraj Ramjattan.
It is my since wish and hope that Messrs Ramjattan and
Raphael Trotman will do excellently at the 2006 election to
prevent a PPP victory. No one, even Kenneth Galbraith, Naom
Chomsky and all the brilliant minds of the world put
together could explain why the ruling party in Guyana allows
itself to appear so shamelessly and degenerately in the eyes
of the nation. Is this psychically driven self-destruction
or is this the rebirth of West Indian semi-fascism as we saw
in Forbes Burnham in Guyana and Eric Gairy in Grenada?
Khemraj's article in his SN column yesterday was
beautiful. But at the same time it warns us about how the
rule of law is being trampled upon by the Government of
Guyana. Khemraj brings to our attention a form of legal
advice written by the law firm of the Speaker of the
National Assembly, Mr Ralph Ramkarran. It was tendered to
the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Guyana and relates
to two NISI ORDERS of Justice Patterson putting into
abeyance the appointment of Dr James Rose as Vice-Chancellor
of the University.
I was completely shocked when I read this advice dated
September 19, of Cameron and Shepherd. Was it written by Mr.
Ralph Ramkarran or one of his two sons? Or by Minister Henry
Jeffrey's wife? Here was a senior counsel of the Bar
informing the University what a NISI Order is by quoting
from a dictionary of law. This is what Khemraj found
unbelievable in his article yesterday. It is not an unbroken
tradition among lawyers that they quote from legal decisions
in support of their positions? Can a University lecturer
inform a student what fascism is by referring to the Oxford
Dictionary? Can a psychologist define the term,
“emotion” for his/her student by quoting from the Oxford
Dictionary? Can an Economics Professor direct his/her
student to look up what the term, “market” means in the
Oxford Dictionary?
The University was not satisfied with Cameron and
Shepherd's definition and sought the advice of Anil Nandlall.
Here we see the difference between mediocrity and
brilliance; between talent and intellectual stultification.
Mr Nandlall handed the University a three-page discussion
of what a NISI ORDR is. He quoted at length from case
sources. He cited different judges on the identical
approach to what a NISI ORDER is.
It means you must obey the order and suspend the decision
that is being challenged. Mr Nandlall is a leader in the
PPP. He is a central committee member. Priya
Manickchand is the legal consultant to President Jagdeo.
She told this paper the firm's advice to UG is wrong.
Sanjeev Datadin, one of the prosecutors in the Mark Benschop
trial, openly disagreed with Cameron and Shepherd on its
wrong advice to UG. The firm remains silent. Cameron and
Shepherd are the legal advisors to the Guyana Government.
The firm consists of Mr. Ramkarran, a leader within the PPP.
It includes also the wife of Minister Henry Jeffrey and Ms.
Josephine Whitehead. Is Cameron and Shepherd a competent
group of legal minds? I don't know. I am asking this based
on what attorneys Navindra Narine, Khemraj Ramjattan, Priya
Manickchand and Sanjeev Datadin have to say about this law
company's letter to UG. Khemraj in his article yesterday
said that no one signed the company's letter to UG. I have
the letter in front of me. Indeed it was not signed
therefore the contents of it should have been ignored by UG.
Such a document must bear a signature. But more than that
lapse, I am appalled at the mediocrity in the intellectual
reasoning in the letter.
For more on what happened in Guyana last week
that clearly shows Guyana is in the beginning stages of a
semi-fascist order, please see my article in today's issue
of KN.
Frederick Kissoon
Sunday,
September 25, 2005
