In a letter published on February 23, 2025, former Mayor of Georgetown, Pt. Ubraj Narine, has strongly criticised Senior Counsel Ralph Ramkarran for what he described as a blatant attempt to influence ongoing court proceedings.
Narine expressed outrage over Ramkarran’s recent column in Stabroek News, “Constitutional Requirements and National Development,” which he claims distorts constitutional principles to justify unlimited government access to Guyana’s Natural Resource Fund.
Narine condemned Ramkarran’s argument that the constitutional promotion of culture and recreation, such as the Mashramani celebrations, could qualify as national development priorities for withdrawing funds from the Natural Resource Fund. “By this tortured logic,” Narine wrote, “any government expenditure—including routine salary payments—becomes a ‘national development priority.'”
He went on to argue that Ramkarran’s position aims to render the legal restrictions in the Natural Resource Fund Act meaningless, which he suggested was particularly concerning in light of a recent court challenge to the Fund.
This, Narine asserted, is yet another instance of Ramkarran’s troubling shift from an occasional critic of the government to a full-fledged apologist. Ramkarran’s legal opinions, Narine argued, have increasingly been “draped in constitutional references” that serve to justify government actions regardless of their legitimacy.
Narine pointed to several of Ramkarran’s recent columns, including those defending controversial government policies, which Narine believes mark a troubling transformation in his approach to constitutional law.
In his letter, Narine questioned the motives behind Ramkarran’s legal reasoning. He asked, “What drives a Senior Counsel to twist fundamental constitutional principles into a blank cheque for government spending?”
Narine expressed his belief that the people of Guyana deserve better than such a “shameless opportunism masquerading as constitutional scholarship.” According to Narine, when a respected legal mind like Ramkarran sacrifices intellectual honesty for political expedience, it undermines both public discourse and the constitutional integrity he claims to uphold.
The letter has sparked debate among political observers, with many questioning the implications of Ramkarran’s stance on the future of Guyana’s public finances. Critics of the government have raised concerns that Ramkarran’s interpretation of constitutional principles could open the door for justifying executive lawlessness, including control over the country’s natural resources, potentially bypassing legislative oversight and transparency.
Ramkarran’s article, which has been met with mixed reactions, has also intensified scrutiny of the broader political landscape. For some, it raises serious questions about the role of so-called legal experts in shaping national policy and their responsibility to maintain an impartial stance, especially when dealing with matters as critical as the use of public funds.
As the court case concerning the Natural Resource Fund progresses, Narine’s letter highlights a growing frustration with what some see as the erosion of constitutional checks and balances in Guyana. The debate over the Fund’s use—and the influence of legal experts like Ramkarran on the process—is sure to continue as the country moves closer to the 2025 elections.
