Rotation of leadership was the agreed principle on the formation of the AFC

Dear Editor, The Sunday Stabroek and the Kaieteur News of yesterday put Messrs. Khemraj Ramjattan and Raphael Trotman at odds over the constitution of the AFC, the party they founded in 2005 with Ms. Sheila Holder (deceased). The Sunday Stabroek (page 9) carries an article `AFC Constitution doesn’t prohibit leader from serving more than two successive terms’ based on an AFC press release. The Kaieteur News on its front page carries the headline of its page 10 article `AFC leadership should be rotated – Trotman’ with the strapline `Says this was the intention of Article 19 (1) of the party’s Constitution’.

Recently, Mr. Ramjattan had inserted himself in another constitutional interpretation, supporting President Granger’s decision that the list of nominees submitted by the Opposition Leader Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo for the chairmanship of GECOM was unacceptable. In so doing, Mr. Ramjattan joined many others who have been straining the meanings of words in our national Constitution, persons who have the benefit of advice, persons who are supposed to have expertise and experience, and persons who hold themselves out as independent and objective. The debate on the meaning of Article 161 of the Constitution on the eligibility for appointment of a Chairperson of GECOM has exposed the credentials and credibility of many of those persons.

But let us get back to the AFC and Messrs. Ramjattan and Trotman. Mr. Trotman is right – rotation was the agreed principle on the formation of the AFC. The cautious language in Article 19 (1) was to avoid an absolutist position in case of an extraordinary or exceptional situation.

I say this with certainty because I was part of many of the discussions leading up to the formation of the AFC; the writing of its Constitution in which I played a not insignificant role; the evolution of the rotation policy; and the advertisement for and selection of its symbol. Many of the more formal discussions were held at the offices of Ram & McRae where files are still kept containing, among other papers, minutes of meetings chaired by and signed off by me. To put some names to the meetings, the minutes of a meeting held on July 5, 2005 show the following attendees:

XX [name withheld at person’s request], Anthony Vieira, Khemraj Ramjattan, Raphael Trotman, Sheila Holder (now deceased), Ramon Gaskin, Cathy Hughes, David Patterson and Christopher Ram as Chairman and Facilitator.

The positions taken by Messrs. Ramjattan and Trotman are not surprising. Politics and power in Guyana have revealed the true nature of our politicians and their opportunistic embrace of principles. These seem to matter only when they are in opposition. It is a different story when in power.

In fairness to Mr. Ramjattan, he is not unique in this regard, nor is the AFC. Yours faithfully, Christopher Ram