Guyana needs a watchdog to investigate misconduct by those holding political office

http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=56528095

Guyana needs a watchdog to investigate misconduct by those holding
political office
Stabroek News
Sunday, September 2nd 2007

Dear Editor,

So far one has to be very impressed with Gordon Brown's premiership. I
am most impressed with his break with centuries of British tradition by
surrendering historic powers delegated to previous prime ministers by
the Queen.

Brown has in fact elected to give up some of the royal "prerogative
powers" enjoyed by his predecessors including important public
appointments, the right to recall parliament during holidays and
sending troops to war. It is unusual for a Prime Minister/President to
voluntarily relinquish any of his powers of office and Brown should be
congratulated for his recognition and acknowledgement that times have
changed and that a country's constitution is a living thing that needs
constantly to be made relevant and modernised in keeping with the will
of the people and democratic best practice.

There are important lessons we in Guyana can learn from Gordon Brown's
sense of reformation and renewal.

Prerogative powers have been handed down direct from monarchs to
ministers over many years, allowing governments to go to war, deploy
the armed forces on operations overseas, regulate the civil service,
and grant honours without need for parliamentary approval.

Most impressive of all of Brown's plans for modernization, and one that
Guyana badly needs to copy, is the introduction of an independent panel
to investigate allegations of ministerial misconduct. Britain already
has a sleaze watchdog and the abuse of power panel is needed to mount
vigorous investigations where instances of sleaze and serious
misconduct are suspected. Such a moral watchdog committee is critically
needed here and should be empowered to investigate, discipline and
prosecute ministers, MPs, political and corporate leaders. It is widely
known that some of Guyana's worst abusers of children, sexual predators
and serial rapists hide behind, and capitalize on, political office and
positions of power.

It is a supreme irony that the very people elected or appointed to
protect the weak, the wary and the most vulnerable members of society
often turn out to be their worst abusers - active in their devaluation
and unrelenting dehumanization. Sadly these deviants enjoy society's
protection and are immune even from open public censure or opprobrium.
This cannot be right. We need Gordon Brown in Guyana.

Yours faithfully,

F. Hamley Case