November 6, 1998
DNA SHOULD TEST THE PRECISION OF
THE APPOINTMENTS OF ATTORNEY GENERAL AND PRESIDENT OF THE COURT OF JUSTICE
Assembly Member Frank Playfair (DP) stated yesterday at the National Assembly
that the Assembly should try to find out if the resolution of the President
by the appointments of the Attorney General and the President of Justice
has been correctly interpreted or not. Playfair made this statement at
a meeting of the National Assembly that was requested by nine members of
the Assembly to try and find a solution for the problems at the Judiciary
that has the country's full attention at present. Playfair does not share
the opinion of the other opposition partners in this matter that according
to him is being over dramatized especially when statements are being made
to the effect that the constitution is in jeopardy.Such statements are
only making matters worse and that is why the DNA should decide if the
interprtations were true or false. According to Playfair there is a legal
resolution made over the appointments and unless you can show another resolution
then the President of Justice must carry out this resolution. According
to Playfair no difference in interpretation can lead others to put that
resolution aside. He also stated that the so called action group cannot
say that the DNA cannot bring about a solution to this problem. The DNA
is the constitutional law-giver and no one can tell them what to do. The
Assembly has to make its own decision.
NATIONAL COMMITTEE MUST SOLVE CRISIS
Assembly's member Ronald Venetiaan would like to have a National Committee
installed to solve the present crisis at the Judiciary. This National Committee
should be assisted by the OAS to strenghten the democratic process. The
NPS Chairman said that there could also be other ways of reaching an agreement
and suggested that maybe the coalition could persuade the Govrnment that
they have made a mistake. Frank Playfair (DP) wanted to know what should
happen in the time that it will take to form such a committee. Playfair
said he asked the question because it could take quite a while to form
such a committee. Hendrik Djoeharie (Pertjaja Luhur) was of the opinion
that 5 members of parliament should be in this committee and that the committee
should be assisted by foreign experts. Mr Jaggernath Lachmon suggested
that President Wijdenbosch should admit to having made a mistake in this
matter and that by doing this would prove himself a big man. According
to Lachmon there are a shortage of judges in the country at present and
if this problem is not settled then there will be no further jurisdiction
in Suriname. Winston Jessurrum (DA91) stated that the CIVD has still not
given an explanation of its involvement in the actions at the High Court.
These were a few fragments of the DNA meeting that was held yesterday to
try and bring about a solution to the Judiciary ado.
RICE MUST REGAIN TOP QUALITY
BY NEXT YEAR
Bothe rice farmers and rice exporters have come together to try to
put an end to the crisis in the rice sector. All efforts are being made
to get a top quality product by the ending of next year. VRE Chairman George
Phalad stated that now that the Government has withdrawn and are no longer
playing an active roll in the rice business, it is now up to the exporters
and the farmers to breathe new life into this sector so that it can one
again be profitable. Phalad explained that even though the a price of U$10
was agreed on for the A quality and U$9 for the B quality the farmers and
exporters will work out a better price to compete with the competition
in the regio. According to reports Guyana is selling their A quality rice
at U$280 per ton. The farmers have had great loses the past few seasons
and the quality of the rice has not been up to standard due mostly to the
shortage of good seeding.That is why all efforts are now being made for
the coming season and the one following to produce a better quality of
rice so that we can win back our place as best rice producer in the regio.
Guyana has bypassed us in this the last five years but the farmers and
exporters alike are willing to do all that is possible to regain their
place once more on the rice market.
UNKNOWN SPECIAL UNIT TAKES OVER
HARBOR COMPLEX
Early this morning a heavily armed unknown "special unit" toke over the
Harbor complex. The commander of the unit stated that seizure of the harbour
complex was ordered by the government. The exitence of this unit is unknown
by the police and army. Rumours are that the president ordered the intelligence
force to do so since the Custome Officers would step up their actions at
8:00 am. Politicians and lawyers indicate that the president of Suriname
again put a side the constititoin in order to have his way. The Head of
the Custom Office could in fact file a complaint against this illegal activity,
in which case the police should take actions against the "special Unit".
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