The Kamana Court

IN our polarised society, it may be tempting on matters of a political nature, given how often they are characterised by twists and turns, to surmise in the words of Sir Walter Scott in the Marmion play, “Oh! What a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive.”
Last December, President David Granger moved to revoke what can now be considered an alleged 99-year lease to the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre Incorporated (CJRCI) for the Red House property. This lease was purportedly issued in 2012. The attempted revocation came after Attorney General and Minister of Legal, Basil Williams, said that the Government and CJRCI had failed to arrive at an amicable resolution on occupancy of the property.
None can deny the emotive and sentimental value attached to the Red House, which Dr Cheddi Jagan, one of the founders of the People’s Progressive Party, occupied during his premiership from 1961-1964. None can also reasonably deny the importance of storing the work of our presidents for posterity and research. After all, the decisions they took impacted the country and its people. Such records provide primary sources of information-gathering, serving as windows into their thinking, and allow for analyses in influencing future planning.
There is no interest in getting into the legal ramifications of the alleged lease, given that it is presently before the High Court for adjudication. The court was asked to determine if President Granger’s action, in this specific issue, cannot be brought before it, given a held interpretation of the immunity clause at Article 182 of the Guyana Constitution. It has since ruled that it has jurisdiction to hear the matter.
Former president Donald Ramotar in January swore to an affidavit that he exercised the power conferred on him under the Constitution and laws of Guyana to issue the alleged lease agreement. This newspaper on Wednesday carried a story, in which Mr Trevor Benn, Commissioner of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, in a sworn affidavit denied the existence of such lease. According to his affidavit, there is “no formal evidence of any sanction of approval by the President of the day, President Ramotar.”
Neither, according to Mr Benn, has there been any approval granted by any Head of State for the building to be leased by the CJRCI within the past 17 years. Minister of Education, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, also said that no approval was “ever given by any Minister of Education or himself to lease the area for the past 17 years.”
The evidence of Messrs Ramotar, Benn and Roopnaraine shall be examined in the court in determining whether indeed there was a valid lease executed by the former president. While in our polarised society it can be argued that there was benefit to having the issue resolved amicably between the Government and the purported lessor, now that the court is being asked to make a determination, it is opening the proverbial can of worms. From the moment the matter came into the public domain it has attracted spirited protests and counter protests by supporters of the government and opposition.

Guyanese have weighed in from all angles, to the point where an overseas-based group was formed with the intent of mobilising support in protest against Government’s decision to terminate the occupancy. It is not uncharacteristic in our politics to find politicians unmindful of sacrificing integrity in pursuit of partisan mileage and keeping the people divided. Such tendency throughout our history has never proven to be in the interest of fostering social cohesion and building national unity.
Dr Jagan contributed significantly to the nation’s development. He was one of the forerunners in the independence struggle, the country’s first premier, the third president with executive responsibility, and the longest-serving leader in the opposition. That his name and work are being dragged through deceit should never be.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All our printed editions are available online
emblem3
Subscribe to the Guyana Chronicle.
Sign up to receive news and updates.
We respect your privacy.