by Norris Mitchell
I can understand CRAC, the local body spearheading a yes vote for the 6 November 2018 referendum, in an effort to convince the uninformed Grenadian that by so doing we would break the bonds of colonialism and would complete the cycle of (political) independence from the British, who we consistently imitate, even within the “hallowed” walls of our new parliament.
The average Grenadian who has his ears to the ground and his/her eyes wide open would realise that the above is a propaganda gimmick to deceive the unenlightened. The current deplorable situation with the courts in Grenada unable to deliver local justice to the ordinary Grenadian because of the unhealthy and grossly inadequate buildings and facilities over the years, exposes the lie to the above proposition, and requires that the situation be corrected forthwith in the democratic and human rights interest of the Grenadian people before joining the appellate court of the CCJ, which would be unable to rectify our present local judicial predicament.
What however is very disturbing, was the announcement on a recent television broadcast by the Chairman of CRAC Dr Lawrence Joseph, that his organisation intends to bring back for a second time the Prime Minister of Barbados and the retired CCJ president Sir Dennis Byron to do another series of CCJ indoctrination to ensure a yes vote on 6 November.
It would appear that the Grenadian public is not convinced with the deliberate bias, lack of detail information and half-truths on the CCJ bills recently rushed through parliament, while we are being solicited to buy “cat in bag” to use a local parlance, which could prove to be politically deceptive, with a hidden agenda reintroducing covertly, a new form of colonialism through a complicated legal Caricom structure, not understood or explained to the public, which could disenfranchise the man on the street and surreptitiously making him/her a 2nd class citizen in our own country, while enhancing the privileges and authority of the political and legal operatives, who are pressing for a yes vote.
From the apparent public opposition to having a second referendum to accede to the appellate court of the CCJ in our present chaotic judicial environment, there must be a large degree of desperation, to have to recall these two high ranking and expensive surrogates to the rescue of the administration, when considering a government that is hell-bent on obtaining a yes vote, but who routinely disrespects the laws and constitution of Grenada and refuses to comply with the judgements (rulings) of the Supreme Court of the OECS.
Let us be prudent and protect our national interest by not gambling with our sovereignty by voting NO to the CCJ referendum, which could be revisited when the Grenada Bar Association is satisfied with the buildings and facilities provided in order to effectively dispense local justice and the necessary legislative changes that are required to the Representation of the Peoples’ Act (voting mechanism) as recommended by the Caricom and the OAS visiting missions reports, on the “unusual” conduct of the 2018 Grenada General Election.
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