The Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) has lodged a complaint with the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) against APNU/AFC’s Prime Ministerial Candidate Khemraj Ramjattan over racially incendiary remarks he recently made during a television programme broadcast in Trinidad and Tobago.
The complaint was filed by PPP/C’s Executive Member Anil Nandlall.
According to the letter of complaint, Ramjattan’s remarks are “capable of inciting racial hostilities amongst the people of Guyana, in particular between Indo and Afro Guyanese…”
See full letter of complaint below:
RE: Complaint against Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan
The PPP/C hereby lodges a complaint against Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan. Mr. Ramjattan, speaking on a live television program titled Morning Edition, broadcast on CCN TV6 in Trinidad and Tobago, today, June 2, 2020, published the following words:
“Black People can’t run oil money you have to have East Indians doing that”
Mr. Ramjattan alleged that these words were part of political advertisements published in Guyana.
It is clear that these words were intended and are capable of inciting racial hostilities amongst the people of Guyana, in particular between Indo and Afro Guyanese, may constitute an offence under the Racial Hostility Act, Chapter 23:01, Laws of Guyana, and are not protected by Article 146 of the Constitution of Guyana which guarantees freedom of expression and free speech, excepting, inter alia, “expressions, in whatever form, capable of exciting hostility against any person or class of persons.”
In the circumstances, we request that the Commission launches an investigation of this complaint and take such actions that it considers necessary and appropriate against Mr. Ramjattan, immediately.
