To prosecute or not to prosecute, that is the question
DEAR EDITOR, One of the biggest questions the Coalition will face if the PPP loses the election is whether to prosecute the PPP leadership. There will be a debate generated from some quarters of this country and obviously pushed by some of the very persons under the microscope for the Coalition to look towards healing and reconciliation, and in doing so, to pardon those who include some of the most egregious offenders from the PPP leadership. Some within the Coalition may be tempted to consider this narrative, if not for saving the bacon of the miscreants, for what they believe may be political capital in capturing a larger segment of the Indian vote with these overtures in a future election. That narrative and approach is a crock of horse, pig, dog and donkey manure combined. You can have healing with prosecution and accountability. Mandela’s approach is not a fit for all circumstances. It was derived from South Africa’s particular circumstances. South Africa’s military was still controlled by many of the same individuals who would have faced prosecution and that alone would have triggered another deadly civil war. A minority of whites controlled the vast majority of the wealth and any recrimination would have caused massive capital flight, creating economic collapse and fuelling internal conflicts and warfare in the battle for scarce resources. Plus, South Africa has such deep tribal and other differences that any prosecution would have captured many black South African organizations for atrocities, including the ANC. Guyana’s situation is different from South Africa’s. Unlike white South African political leaders who were generally non-corrupt individuals who used apartheid to defend white domination and to enrich whites generally as a racial/ethnic group, the target group in Guyana for prosecution – the PPP’s leadership – is corrupt and has a notorious history of enriching themselves and their few friends and cronies at the expense of the group they claimed they represented and against the interests of the entire country. This group of PPP leaders gave away the wealth of this country they or their buddies could not benefit from to foreigners at the expense of their own people and even their own ethnic group. The country is not at risk for any civil war or sustained violence if these charlatans are prosecuted and jailed, if guilty. In fact, the majority of Indians will favour prosecution of these vagabonds. There is no military risk of prosecuting these individuals. The individuals driving the investigation and prosecution of these individuals will likely be Indians, based on the Coalition agreement, which gives AFC significant control of domestic affairs. Plus, it is the AFC, not the PNC that will likely be leading the prosecution with Nigel Hughes, Khemraj Ramjattan, Raphael Trotman and Moses Nagamootoo being the directing legal minds for any prosecution. So, there is no room to allege ethnic bias or to inflame ethnic passions. Just the act alone of prosecuting these individuals will signal a marked change in the rule of law in Guyana and that alone would land the Coalition significant political capital among their base and among those who voted against them. For the sake of law and order, the advancement of the rule of law, demonstrating accountability and broadcasting integrity, prosecution has to occur. Not only does it firmly signal there is change in governance and there is a new sheriff in town, it also shows that the new government is open to scrutiny if it stumbles and that people power is now alive. If the Coalition fails to prosecute, it will be accused of seeking to subvert the rule of law to avoid future prosecution if it falls afoul of the law and of breaking its promise. Surely, if it fails to prosecute, a reformed, ethical and multi-ethnic PPP with new trusted leadership will harp on the fact that it cleansed and purged itself of the very same trash while the Coalition did nothing to prosecute these rogues. M. Maxwell
The most glorious election since 1953 because the promise of 1992 was betrayed. It's a one in a lifetime moment. Focus on reforming the PPP so it can be a party non-souptunists would be happy to join without worrying about credibility. We are witnessing democratic turnover. No coup, no rigged election, just the ballot box.
