Hurricane not credible explanation for delay in Roger Khan’s return

Dear Editor,

Reference is made to the Guyana Chronicle article `Hurricane delays Roger Khan’s return’ (GC 9/7) which reported that according to Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, Hurricane Dorian delayed Roger Khan’s return home on Thursday September 5, 2019. “His homecoming was adjourned, and he will be treated the same way as all deportees,” the minister said.

However, Hurricane Dorian is not a “credible” explanation for Mr. Khan’s failure to arrive back in Guyana last Thursday. This is a smokescreen for Government.

Even Stabroek News’ cartoonist, Paul Harris, seems to oppose the hurricane explanation with his cartoon of September 8. It shows an airborne airplane but with the runway being yanked from underneath by a hand (arguably, the Coalition Government’s) which reads: “Elections Promises, 2015.”

The cartoon depicts two voices speaking from within the aircraft, one saying; “postpone!...repeat...postpone!...over ” and the other voice, asking, “Why?” to which there is no response.

It reminds one of the movie, “The Wild Geese,” in which a group of English mercenaries (played by Richard Burton, Richard Harris, etc.) venture into an African country, rescues a deposed president from his enemies’ prison, before waiting at an old airstrip to be airlifted before the local army finds them.

Their plane lands on the runway but before anyone can board, its pilot is told to “pass them by,” and off goes the plane back into the air, leaving the mercenaries to “fight their way out of Africa.”

Well, Mr. Khan has to fight his way out of the United States.

The public learned that Mr. Roger Khan was to return to Guyana last week. On Thursday, September 5, 2019 at or about 7: 30 pm, instead of being accompanied by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) agent on to a plane bound for Guyana, Mr. Khan found himself stranded in Florida and talking to his attorney in Guyana, Mr. Glen Hanoman.

The media in Guyana which sent reporters to the airport said the following day that “associates” of Mr. Khan were at the airport, an indication that they also anticipated his arrival.

It is public knowledge worldwide that Florida escaped the crippling effects of Hurricane Dorian. Many television stations in the US including CNN covered this hurricane extensively. By Thursday September 5, 2019, the hurricane had already passed Florida.

The people there returned to normal life. Miami International Airport from where Mr. Khan was expected to depart was operating. If I am not mistaken, an American Airlines flight departed from Miami International

Once she has completed advising President Granger on an early date for elections there is major work to be done. Given the winner-takes-all nature of the ultra-competitive contest for general elections, further fuelled by the anticipation of major oil wealth in the coming years, Ms Singh and other GECOM stakeholders will be acutely aware of the high stakes surrounding the contest for the next GRE. Therefore, GECOM must begin to immediately work on meeting its information technology needs via the United Nations and other willing agencies. Expertise is necessary to ensure the integrity of the registration database and the collation and issuing of results after the elections. There must be no compromising in this area particularly in light of the growing sophistication of hacking techniques. GECOM will also be well aware of the need for sufficient scrutineers to be available for the approximately 1800 polling stations and for the accreditation of as many reputable observer groups as possible to provide comfort to the electorate and independent assessments of how voting went. These groups would likely include the Commonwealth, CARICOM, the United Nations, the Organisation of American States, the local private sector and the Carter Center. Their involvement in monitoring the elections would be most welcome. The major decision that now confronts GECOM and the advice to be given to the President in relation to the timeline for holding general elections also has a fundamental bearing on another approaching crisis: what becomes of the government after September 18, 2019 if there is no fiat from the 11th Parliament for an extended period for elections and what becomes of Parliament itself? Those are added complications the country can well do without at this point. The government has effectively been functioning as a caretaker administration since December 21 last year featuring diminished

Airport to Guyana Thursday night.

Even Port Canaveral in Jacksonville, Florida, a busy port for cruise liners, was also open for business. Hurricane Dorian had to first pass Miami before reaching Port Canaveral.

Yet, at Port Canaveral, the US Coast Guard (Sector of Jacksonville) posted a bulletin online which stated: “As of 4 pm, 4 September, 2019, Hurricane Dorian’s severe weather is no longer a threat to the Port of Canaveral.”

This was September 4, an entire day before Mr. Khan’s scheduled departure. Therefore, the hurricane explanation just does not add up.

Government has a duty to ensure all deportees including Mr. Khan have a swift and safe return home from the US. However, the fact that the press and others were at the airport but no police, as is customary for returning deportees, indicates that Government knew beforehand that Mr. Khan’s flight was aborted, but deliberately did not provide notice to Mr. Khan or the public.

It would be a stretch of the imagination to believe that this is protocol between the US and Guyana regarding the treatment of our citizens who are deportees.

For months, Mr. Khan has been trying to get home. Apart from filing a lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Prisons for early release, he even waived important rights in the US to that very

authority and no doubt necessitating the downgrading of high level contacts by friendly governments and international agencies. Its position will become even more tenuous after September 18 if there is no agreement to extend the period for elections. With a small electorate, holding general elections is not rocket science and doesn’t require up to March next year and beyond. In the past, election dates have been fixed and elections held within months without any major hassle. The last two general elections are cases in point. In 2011, parliament was dissolved on September 27th and on October 9th the election date of November 28th was fixed. The process was completed within 60 days – one month less than the three months which have always been mandated by the constitution in the event of a motion of no-confidence. In 2015, the elections won by APNU+AFC, after proroguing Parliament on November 10, 2014 to avoid facing a motion of no confidence, President Ramotar on January 21st 2015 named May 11th, 2015 as the date for general elections. Elections were held comfortably in this process and that period could most likely have been shortened. The GECOM Chair will undoubtedly be aware of these precedents. Another moment of truth has arrived for the Constitution. It is now up to the GECOM Chair to act in defence of the Constitution and to recognise the right of the people to vote at new elections consequent to the passage of a motion of no confidence.

foster a swift immigration process.

Moreover, it is no secret that ICE is willingly processing deportees as well as persons deemed undocumented for rapid removal from the US, under President Donald Trump’s controversial immigration policy.

Yet, it is now this caretaker Government’s position that despite all that he has done to facilitate his removal from the US, including flight arrangement by ICE, Mr. Roger Khan’s trip was “adjourned” because of a hurricane that had little impact to Florida and arguably, did not stop at least one other flight from leaving Miami that night to Guyana. Something else is afoot.

Yours faithfully,

Rakesh Rampertab