I strongly support Attorney-at-Law Melinda Janki’s appeal to President Irfaan Ali, as reported in yesterday’s Stabroek News, not to give presidential assent to the rushed Oil Pollution Prevention, Pre-paredness, Response and Responsibility Bill.
Ms. Janki, who regularly provides high-value public service to Guyana, provided a strong case on why the legislation contravenes Guyana’s international legal obligations and violates multiple constitutional provisions, particularly Article 149J. As she rightly pointed out, a catastrophic oil spill would result in tens of billions of dollars in costs.
The danger in this legislation is that like the 2016 Agreement, we can be walking into an existential trap of our own making. The oil companies have shown that they are not averse to shifting any costs and liabilities to Guyana, given half a chance. Already, we are bound by a fateful Stability Clause that runs until 2056, which states that we can improve terms for the oil companies, but if we attempt to reduce their economic benefits, they could take us to arbitration or settle with local officials.
Melinda’s call follows calls for the Bill to be referred to a Select Committee, and we know where that went. Speaker after speaker from the Government side made several outlandish statements that hardly inspired confidence. Yet, after the political theatre and the customary “buse-out” of the opposition, “who did not have the intelligence to read and understand the Bill”, the Speaker farcically called for a vote on the entire Bill.
The Bill creates a regulatory façade without providing the necessary scientific capacity, independent verification mechanisms, or dedicated funding required for effective implementation. As one critic noted, it is “form without substance.”
I join Ms. Janki in calling for President Ali to withhold his assent to this dangerously flawed legislation. However, I would advise her not to hold her breath waiting for a response – the President appears too busy to respond to citizens, even when the matter falls directly within his own portfolio, such as the Commis-sioner of Information.
I am yet to see what it would take for the President to operate respectfully with citizens and in the broader interest of the country.
Sincerely,
Christopher Ram
