Forde, Ramjattan lament govt’s alleged “weaponising” of courts

The governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has violated the sacrosanct structure of the separation of powers with the Executive holding the Judicial arm hostage in its bid to subjugate, humiliate and charge anti-PPP supporters and other political opponents. At least, this is what the main Parliamentary Opposition, the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) has been telling the nation. During a live airing of ‘Politics 101’ hosted by Political Activist, Dr. David Hinds on Tuesday night, APNU Member of Parliament (MP), Roysdale Forde said that the government has managed to successfully weaponise the judiciary to go after those against the regime.

“I believe that the PPP has weaponised the court. The weaponisation process relates to the attempted effort by the PPP to pass the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act, which is to close off, in my opinion, the Court’s independence and access to resources and its budgetary planning. On the other end, it is the persistent use of the courts by the PPP to bring political activists and persons, who do not support the views and policies of the PPP, to the court through different trials, different charges, and different interventions which seem to be all permitted by the DPP (Director of Public Prosecution). And it is within that larger context, that larger frame, that they describe what is unfolding as a weaponising of the courts,” Forde, an Attorney-at-law said.

Since the APNU+AFC’s defeat at the March 2020 General and Regional Elections, several of its members and top-ranking electoral officers have appeared before the courts facing charges including those relating to misconduct and fraud. Meanwhile, other litigation brought by the opposition, including two election petitions, have not garnered the Coalition’s desired outcome. Yet, the party refuses to concede defeat and refers to the government as an ‘installed’ regime. The government, on the other hand, refuses to engage the opposition, saying that it will not have dialogue with an entity that does not recognise its legitimacy. The political stalemate has rendered several crucial appointments, which constitutionally require government/opposition dialogue, to remain unconfirmed with at least four top posts including those of the Chief Justice and the Commissioner of Police being held by persons ‘acting’ in those capacities.

Alliance For Change (AFC) Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan supported his colleague’s claim. He said, “It is an important description. Some people might not like the use of the word ‘weaponising’ but I believe the PPP is doing exactly that to make the courts bring fear into a number of people and to also bring right-thinking people into thinking that they can control the courts.”