Autocracy or Democracy? Nandlall defends Guyana’s credentials against provocative claims
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In a detailed lecture on his weekly program, ‘Issues in the News,’ Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, S.C., on Tuesday tackled the hotly debated question: Are there shades of autocracy in Guyana?
Nandlall’s defense was sparked by a provocative article written by Dr. Bertrand Ramcharran, a distinguished Guyanese international lawyer and former Chairman of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
In his August 27, 2024, piece for Stabroek News, Dr. Ramcharran suggested that the Guyana government exhibits traits of autocracy.
“Autocracy is like the opposite of democracy,” Nandlall stated, emphasising that such a government is similar to a a dictatorship, where power is concentrated in one individual and devoid of democratic principles.
He strongly refuted Ramcharran’s characterisation of Guyana as “partially” autocratic, asserting that it misrepresents the country’s governance structure.
Nandlall, who has served in his role with both legal expertise and political acumen, outlined his arguments methodically.
He acknowledged a period of democratic deficiencies during the 1980s but highlighted significant reforms from 1999-2001 that have since rectified those issues.
According to Nandlall, Guyana’s Constitution has consistently been recognised as a democratic framework, aligning with international standards and even surpassing many in the Caribbean.
“Guyana’s Constitution has undergone extensive scrutiny and has consistently been upheld as a democratic document,” Nandlall asserted.
Putting this against Dr. Ramcharran’s critique, Nandlall believes the concerns might be directed more at the functioning of the government rather than the Constitution itself.
But even so, Nandlall argued that Dr. Ramcharran was wrong, just as many letter writers have argued including prominent Guyanese Ruel Johnson and Ralph Ramkarran.
Central to Nandlall’s defense was the argument that Guyana’s democracy is robust and allows for constitutionally mandated separation of powers between the executive, legislature and judiciary.
He pointed to the active role of the Parliament, which he said has passed more laws since August 2020 than any other English-speaking Caribbean country.
He also highlighted the independence of the judiciary, noting its fair and transparent appointment process, which involves collaboration between the President and the Leader of the Opposition. However, that has not occurred for some time with the two highest office holders in the judiciary acting in those positions for a prolonged period.
Nandlall took particular care to underscore the judiciary’s operational independence, detailing how the judiciary’s budget is managed in a manner that prevents governmental interference.
He also addressed criticisms of government statements about the judiciary, noting that it is part of the democratic right to critique and not indicative of autocratic control.
Further reinforcing his argument, Nandlall cited the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), which affirmed the democratic nature of Guyana’s elections and governance.
He pointed out that the CCJ, as the highest judicial authority in Guyana, has validated the democratic integrity of the electoral process and government functions.
Nandlall invited citizens to engage in a comprehensive discussion on Guyana’s democratic credentials versus the claims of autocracy.
https://newsroom.gy/2024/09/11/autocracy-or-democracy-nandlall-defends-guyanas-credentials-against-provocative-claims/
