Editorialising on “Mining and Amerindians” last Friday, after my article, “Chinese Landing” on Sunday, Stabroek News largely adopted the point of view of the Amerindians of Chinese Landing as its own. In doing so SN tendentiously describes some of what I said as ‘baffling’ and ‘bizarre.’ SN suggested that since Chinese Landing got “no support from the local court system,” they had to resort to IACHR. This is not what happened.
Continue reading “A TENDENTIOUS EDITORIAL ON CHINESE LANDING”CHINESE LANDING
Illegal mining at Chinese Landing has been in the news. A report in SN on Thursday last, stated that the Village Council said that it never asked the government to stop all mining on its lands as some of its villagers earn their livelihoods by mining. Also, it does not approve of the government’s fact-finding mission. Chinese Landing complained to the Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) is that armed, outside, miners working are illegally on Wayne Vieira’s concession which is within Amerindian lands and that they feel unsafe. The IACHR, on a prima facie basis, requested the government to take steps to protect the life and integrity of the villagers, consult and agree on measures to be adopted and report on the actions taken to investigate the events. This last recommendation to ‘investigate’ appears to be the basis of the fact-finding mission by the government. The Chinese Landing Village Council, who took their claims to the IACHR, objects to the cessation of mining and the fact-finding mission by the Government, as requested by IACHR. Why?
Continue reading “CHINESE LANDING”ISRAEL CANNOT SURVIVE AS A PARTIALLY LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC STATE
Israel is in the throes of a struggle between opposing forces in support of its partly liberal democratic state and those proposing a fully neo-fascist one. For seven months now large demonstrations have taken place against legislative proposals by the most rightwing government in Israel’s history to remove the power of the judiciary to overrule government decisions as being unreasonable. The government has been described by Bret Stephens, a conservative New York Times columnist, and a strong supporter of Israel, as “a coalition of the bigoted, the corrupt, the dependent and the extreme.” Reforms to give more power to the government over judicial appointments, weakening the power of government lawyers and limiting judicial review of appointments, are yet to come. The already conservative Supreme Court has approved the torture of Palestinians, the destruction of their homes and the expansion of settlements.
Continue reading “ISRAEL CANNOT SURVIVE AS A PARTIALLY LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC STATE”AN ERA IS COMING TO AN END
The passing of Ashton Chase ushered in the end of an era spanning the entire modern history of Guyana from its earliest conception. He was a founding member of the Political Affairs Committee which gave rise to the Peoples’ Progressive Party. But it also confirms the end of another era – that of the great lawyer – one who appears in great, nationally impactful, cases and stamps their personalities on the profession. The surviving trio of that generation were Ashton Chase, Rex McKay and the lesser-known Joseph King. Their era ended when they terminated their legal practice in the way that lawyers do – with decreasing tempo spread over many years. But a time comes when the brain loses the support of the body. I was fortunate to appear in many cases against Ashton Chase and Rex McKay and in some with Joseph King. I learnt from these numerous appearances what no textbook can teach.
Continue reading “AN ERA IS COMING TO AN END”WHITHER APNU?
All agree that there is a democracy deficit when an Opposition is unable or unwilling to hold a government to account. In 1992, APNU, then known as the PNC, was voted out of office and remained in opposition for 23 years. After 19 years, circumstances began to change when two opposition parties, APNU and the AFC, obtained a majority in the 2011 elections. As expected, joining in a coalition, the two parties sustained a majority in 2015 and formed the Government. Instead of sober economic policies to grow the economy and constitutional reform to further democratize the governance system, the APNU-AFC Government raised taxes and went on a spending spree. It failed to keep its promise to reform the constitution. Instead, it reached down into its history for guidance and attempted to rig the elections of 2020.
Continue reading “WHITHER APNU?”