In response to a letter published in last Sunday’s Stabroek News, Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh has stated that political commentator Christopher Ram enjoys no monopoly on the right to criticise.
He also stated that it is clear that Mr. Ram is no objective commentator, but instead, that his commentaries are driven by a narrow political and personal agenda.
The Minister stated that his acquaintance with Mr. Ram indeed dates back more than two decades, at the start of which he would have regarded Mr. Ram as a senior accounting professional. However, the Minister added, the rapid deterioration in the nature of their interactions since he accepted appointment as a Minister in the current PPP/Civic administration, the caustic and highly personalised tone of Mr. Ram’s commentary on the work of his Ministry since, and the evident prejudices displayed by Mr. Ram in his public postures, have all led to the inescapable conclusion that Mr. Ram has political and personal agendas which dominate and bias his commentaries.
Minister Singh indicated that he finds especially objectionable the manner in which Mr. Ram casts aspersions on the character, integrity, and capability of the hardworking professionals in the finance sector and within the finance portfolio. The Minister emphasised that he has been privileged to work alongside a number of outstanding professionals in the Ministry and its related agencies, and that he has felt terribly hurt by the manner in which Ram would casually and thoughtlessly make disparaging and offensive remarks about the work that these persons do and sometimes about the persons themselves.
The Minister stated that he found astonishing the fact that Mr. Ram felt free to castigate all and sundry, yet feigned great offence when he was described as politically partisan.
“Whether he likes it or not, I see him as a partisan politician, engaged in a sustained campaign against this Government and, in particular, in a vicious and highly personalised vendetta against me. I also see him as a person who has clearly deluded himself into thinking that he has some kind of a monopoly on technical knowledge. He is only one of hundreds of persons who we have invited to share ideas with us and from whom we have received advice over the years. His attempts at self-aggrandisement on account of tendering advice to me and the President are therefore laughable, even if not entirely surprising, given his widely known reputation as a person who suffers a compulsive need to prove himself better than everyone else.”
The Minister added, “Mr. Ram seems to suffer a chronic superiority complex.”
The Minister further stated, “Let us be clear about one thing. Christopher Ram has done me no favours, and he harbours for me no secrets. Despite the insinuations contained in his letter, I am not beholden to him in any way.”
Minister Singh concluded his comments by emphasising, “As a public official and a Minister, I expect that my work and the work of my Ministry will be subject to scrutiny and criticism. This is what democracy is about. And we welcome it and would guard it closely. But, I find very distasteful Mr. Ram’s peculiar brand of personalised insults that he attempts to pass off as independent commentary. I have a small, highly qualified, very capable, and hardworking staff, on whose advice and technical skills I depend heavily. We are not perfect, but we try our best every day to serve the people of this country, as well as we possibly can. Christopher Ram can continue attacking people personally as much as he wishes. We have real work to do.”