Opinion Desk: Double standards? The Opposition and appointment of Chancellor & Chief Justice

The Opposition has once again criticised the government for not expediting the appointment of a substantive Chancellor and Chief Justice.

The latest critique came from Opposition Parliamentarian Amanza Walton-Desir, who claimed that “racism” and “sexism” are the reasons behind the government’s perceived reluctance to swiftly finalise the appointments of Justices Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Roxane George, who have been acting in the position as Chancellor of the Judiciary and Chief Justice respectively since 2017.

President Dr. Irfaan Ali, however, has repeatedly said that the process of appointing these critical judicial positions is continuously and carefully being looked at.

“There’s a process to be followed and, as the President, I would follow the process, taking into consideration all the circumstances that exist to ensure that we have a Chancellor and Chief Justice that would continue to take the judiciary into a place that all of us will be proud of, all of the region will be proud of,” the Head of State said.

While the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government has articulated its commitment to due process, the Opposition continues to hammer on this issue.

But one must ask: why is the Opposition so adamant about this now? Why not in 2017? A Tale of Hypocrisy?Let us address the elephant in the room. Justice Carl Singh, who served as acting Chancellor from April 2005 to 2017, was nominated for confirmation by both past Presidents Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar. Yet, despite these endorsements, the APNU+AFC administration refused to confirm him.

This begs the question: was Justice Singh’s non-confirmation rooted in racism? After all, he acted in the position for 12 years, receiving support from two past Presidents, yet the APNU+AFC government stalled his substantive appointment.

The Opposition’s current demands for swift action appear hypocritical when juxtaposed against its own history of inaction and obstruction. Can these calls now be seen as duplicitous?The Racial RhetoricGeneral Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, has frequently called out the Opposition for its inflammatory racial rhetoric.

Walton-Desir’s recent remarks could be interpreted as an attempt to deflect from the APNU+AFC’s record on judicial appointments, particularly its treatment of Justice Singh.Judicial appointments require careful deliberation to ensure the independence, integrity, and competence of the judiciary.

While accusations of bias and delay may serve political agendas, they do little to advance meaningful dialogue about strengthening Guyana’s legal system. And that is the bigger picture the Opposition seems not to be seeing.

But for now, the Opposition must reconcile its current stance with its past actions. Until then, questions surrounding Justice Carl Singh’s non-confirmation will continue to cast a shadow over its credibility on this issue.