Doing a big man’s work

Oct 02, 2013 Letters

Dear Editor,
Reference is made to the Attorney General’s letter, “The President has untrammeled freedom to assent to and withhold assent from Bills” (SN, 30th September, 2013). At a glance one may conclude the content of named letter represents unbridled ignorance as to how society operates.
However, on recognition that this letter emanates from the Leader of the Bar, who at the same time is flouting the law by refusing to possess the certificate as one of the prerequisites for him to continue to ply his profession, presents a worrisome picture.
In that the Attorney General (AG) has the audacity to lecture the society about the constitution and laws, when clearly he doesn’t understand them or has no respect for them, must not pass without rebuttal.
First, the AG must be called upon to satisfy the fundamental requirement to practice in this society before he continues to operate in this office. In modern society where the rule of law, rules, rights and ethics are paramount in governance he would have been called on to resign forthwith.
Second, what is dishonest about the AG’s letter as he attempts to ascribe to the president “an undoubted and untrammeled freedom to assent to, and to withhold his assent from, Bills presented to him” he ignores a critical element of an article he highlights, namely, Article 170(3) which expressly states: “Where the President withholds his assent to a Bill, he returns it to the Speaker within twenty-one days of the date when it was presented to him for assent with a message stating the reasons why he has withheld his assent.”
Implicit in the identified article, while linked to others he refers to, makes clear to this society the president is not above the constitution or above the people. He has an accounting responsibility and in this instance a specific time line to give reason should he withhold assent.
Therefore given the stated, for the AG to claim “untrammeled freedom …,” demonstrates sitting in public office are persons who are incapable of manning the people’s business for they know not what they ought to do even when spelt out.
Further, to tell the nation the shenanigans being applied for not having the outstanding Bills on the president’s desk constitute “convention” without acceding to public outcries again presents a picture this official has no interest in justice (one of the office’s primary responsibility) but hiding behind a claimed ‘convention’ to stymie the will of the people in pursuit of political dominance.
As servant of the people, the AG must not be allowed to hide behind something he claims to have happened in the past when he is enlightened that such past action is inappropriate. He has a responsibility to act in accordance with what is appropriate. By the same token he is also communicating to groups if ‘convention’ treated them as second class citizens or sub-human, in as much as such practices are today deemed unjust and inappropriate, he will continue with same.
This society must not remain silent or be shackled by any claim to any ‘convention’ that undermines their will or deny us what’s rightly ours.
And while the AG flaunts what he considers his role, from his actions he would cause recollection of our village elders’ saying that “dis is a li’l boy put to do big man wuk.” For evidently this official is out of his depth on matters pertaining to laws and how they ought to impact on governance. Certification does not automatically translate to competence, it identifies one would have satisfied certain classroom requirements and is so certificated based on examination.
For laws are made to govern societal behaviours and they are dead at heart unless activated by the people and such activation must be consistent with the desires of the people, underpinned by universal principles. This is what the AG must be able to grasp.
In this era of public accountability those resisting change must hear from us. The Bills in question seek to strengthen the inalienable right to self-determination, a universal principle which underpinned our struggles and achievements for political independence and republican status.
This was extended to the devolution of power to the region, town, and village. And since rights are non-negotiable, the AG must either act consistent with the responsibility of his office or vacate same.
Lincoln Lewis

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