Dear Editor,
I write today not merely as a Senior Counsel, but as a concerned Guyanese citizen who, like thousands of others across this nation, is appalled by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)’s unconscionable decision to reinstate Mr. Nigel Dharamlall on its list of candidates for the September 1, 2025 elections.
Let us not forget who we are speaking about. This is the very individual who was accused of the most heinous and vile act; a sexual offence against a young, vulnerable girl. While Mr. Dharamlall may have denied the allegations, and while the state machinery moved with stunning convenience to shield him from full and fair public scrutiny, the Guyanese people have not forgotten. Our Indigenous brothers and sisters have not forgotten. Women and girls across this country, who are too often victims of abuse and silenced by systemic inaction, have not forgotten.
And now, in a move that reveals the PPP/C’s complete disdain for morality, justice, and public decency, they seek to thrust this man back into public life—as if nothing happened. As if the trauma inflicted upon that young girl and the shame endured by an entire nation were just minor inconveniences that time has conveniently erased.
Let us also recall that it was Mr. Dharamlall, as Minister of Local Government, who bore political responsibility during the horrifying tragedy at the Mahdia Secondary School dormitory—a fire that claimed the precious lives of our young Guyanese students. That devastating incident, too, was met with hollow words and no accountability. And still, today, this man is being paraded once again as a leader.
This is not only reprehensible—it is an insult. It is a grave insult to victims of abuse. It is a slap in the face of Indigenous communities. It is a complete betrayal of the people’s trust and an open challenge to the values of accountability, decency, and respect that ought to define our democracy.
What message does the PPP/C send to the young women of Guyana by placing Nigel Dharamlall back on its list? That your pain is irrelevant? That power will protect its own? That if you are politically connected, you are untouchable?
This must not stand. Guyanese must rise above the political noise and demand better. We must call out this brazen display of arrogance for what it is—an affront to our collective dignity as a people. We must let the PPP/C know, loud and clear, that our memories are not short and our moral compasses are not broken.
To reinstate Nigel Dharamlall is to trample on the values of justice and decency. It is a betrayal of our nation’s daughters, and a mockery of the lives lost under his watch.
I urge every right-thinking Guyanese to take a principled stand against this disgraceful act. Let us not allow our country to be defined by moral decay in the halls of power.
Sincerely,
Roysdale A. Forde, S.C.
