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Jul 07, 2015 News
With the imminent return of former President Bharrat Jagdeo to the parliamentary fray as leader of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Chartered Accountant and one of the state’s Auditors, Christopher Ram has questioned how the former leader’s return will help with several outstanding controversies swirling about him.
Over the past week, rumours of Jagdeo’s impending return as leader of the Opposition when the PPP/C does take their seats in Parliament were put to rest following revelations that he had received twenty six votes versus nine for former President Donald Ramotar.
In addition, Jagdeo’s candidacy has received vocal support from PPP/C General Secretary Clement Rohee and former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, who described Jagdeo’s selection as leader of the Opposition as part of the PPP/C’s ‘rebranding’.
However, the former Head of State has been making the news for the wrong reasons in recent times, including being cited for ‘racially divisive’ campaign speeches, a charge that earned him a spot in the prisoner’s docket at the Whim Magistrate’s court.
While acknowledging that Jagdeo could not return as President and that nothing constitutional stood in the way of his return as Opposition leader, Ram, in a recent interview with this publication pointed to the statements that the ex-President made in recent times.
“One would wonder how his return in the National Assembly to active engagement will help deal with the serious social, economic and ethnic issues.” Ram said.
“Jagdeo made serious statements about the Army and African Guyanese and other issues that did not go down well.”
Ram also expressed the view that Jagdeo’s return would precipitate these unresolved issues coming into the open again.
“His return to the fray will just make those things surface again.” Asked about the current amendments being put forward to the Presidential benefits, Ram expressed certainty that the former President would oppose the amendments.
Jagdeo, who served as President of Guyana from 1999 to 2011, played a prominent role on the 2015 National and Regional elections campaign trail for the PPP/C, but his bombastic and sometimes controversial speeches landed him in hot water when at a commemoration ceremony for late President Dr. Cheddi Jagan on March 8 at Babu Jaan, he made a speech that caused a public outcry and was cited by the newly convened Media Monitoring Unit (MMU) as being an obvious case of racial mobilization.
Ram subsequently filed criminal charges against the former Head of State over the matter, forcing Jagdeo to appear in the Whim’s Magistrate’s Court on May 25 to answer a charge of making racially divisive statements in contravention of Section 139 ‘D’ of the Representation of the People’s Act.
Under the Act, if found guilty, the former President faces a fine of $100,000 and two years’ imprisonment. There is also a stipulation that a prospective Member of Parliament could not enter Parliament if convicted of the offence making racially charged statements.
Under title 9, Chapter 1:01, Section 227 of Guyana’s constitution refers to penalties prescribed to Parliamentarians for racially divisive charges and convictions, reads as follows, “Notwithstanding any provision of this constitution relating to the making of appointments to, removal of persons from, the vacation of, any office, Parliament may provide for the imposition of disqualification for any office prescribed by Parliament on any person convicted by a court of an offence relating to the excitement or ill-will against any person or class of persons on the ground of his or her or their race.”
Meanwhile, former Prime Ministerial candidate for the PPP/C Elisabeth Harper has also confirmed her exit from the political fray, affirming that she will not enter parliament as a PPP/C MP.
Harper, who was Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before resigning to pursue her candidacy, has also denied accusations that she was sidelined by the central committee.
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