Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Feb 20, 2019 Letters
We must call a spade a spade. Guyana has entered into a constitutional storm. Crisis is at hand. It is an emergency. The President is deliberately playing reckless games. His Cabinet is complicit in putting the country at high risk and placing the lives of the Guyanese people in precarious waters.
The public demand for action to avert a constitutional crisis and to stop Guyana from moving backwards must be targeted to David Granger. He is the man with the power and the authority to act in defence of Guyana. So far he has stubbornly refused to act in the interest of Guyana. A meeting between the President and the Leader of the Opposition is needed now. The Leader of the Opposition has stated openly he is one phone call away, as long as the meeting is intended to discuss a date for elections in Guyana. The President is playing games, making excuses, grandstanding.
Political parties not aligned with APNU+AFC must show their worth by formally joining the call for David Granger to convene the meeting now. Civil society actors, like the Public Sector Commission must be unequivocal in demanding the President respect his mandate and convene the meeting now. This is not the time for false equivalency.
An emergency meeting between the President and the Leader of the Opposition to discuss a date for election and matters relating to the elections must be held now. The Leader of the Opposition has openly said he is waiting for the call to have this meeting. The President has, on the other hand, made excuses.
CARICOM must demonstrate its commitment to democracy and its respect for the Guyanese people by formally encouraging the President to convene a meeting with the Leader of the Opposition to discuss a date for election. CARICOM has rightfully injected itself in the struggle for democracy in Haiti. CARICOM has constructively engaged in discussions at the OAS and other forums relating to the struggles of the Venezuelan people. Yet it is deafeningly silent when it comes to the serious assault on democracy right here in a country where the CARICOM headquarters sits.
The ABC countries, which when the PPP was in government were not shy in injecting themselves in Guyanese affairs, are MIA, missing in action, now. In asking the President to do his duty, no one is taking sides, but everyone will be respecting the Constitution and the Law.
On March 21st, the 90th day since the No-Confidence Motion was passed by Parliament on December 21st, 2018, Guyana will have an illegal government. David Granger will become an illegitimate, illegal President. Moses Nagamootoo will be an illegal Prime Minister. The whole Cabinet will be illegal. There is only one way to stop the lunacy – the President must meet with the Leader of the Opposition to enforce Article 106(7) and that meeting must be held now.
The Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, has on multiple occasions expressed his willingness to meet with the President to discuss the date for an election and what must be done to hold an election in accordance with Guyana’s Constitution. The ball is in the President’s court.
Joe Harmon, the Minister of the Presidency, speaking on behalf of President Granger and the APNU+AFC Cabinet, mocked the Leader of the Opposition and declared emphatically that David Granger is the President of Guyana and will dictate when and what matters will be discussed if any meeting is to be held.
The most urgent matter of national priority right now is to stop the constitutional crisis that is at hand, and that can only be stopped by having a date for elections. Granger himself, or through his spokesperson, has not expressed any willingness to meet to discuss election matters, including a date for the election. In fact, he insists that he will carry on with business as usual.
The Parliament has resigned the government, since December 21st, 2018. The Speaker was forced to reiterate on January 3rd, 2019, that the Parliament had validly resigned the government on December 21st, 2018. The Chief Justice confirmed on January 31st, there was a valid No-Confidence Motion that resigned the government on December 21st and elections are due by March 21st, 2019. The President and APNU+AFC now seek shelter through the Court of Appeal. But, as made clear by the Chief Justice when she refused to grant a conservancy order, this does not stop the calendar.
It is unconscionable that Granger and APNU+AFC are now too busy making false and extravagant promises across the country while plunging Guyana into turbulent waters. As Bharrat Jagdeo has warned and as Ralph Ramkarran has eloquently articulated, in less than one month, Guyana will have an illegal government. Granger and his cabinet will be squatters in office. Their salaries and expenditure will be illegal. All government contracts will be illegal. International governments and organization can treat Guyana as a pariah state. Importantly, for the Guyanese people, Guyana’s development trajectory will be pushed back more than a decade. We are, therefore, on a reckless path, driven by greed and authoritarianism.
The time for silence has long gone. The time for society to speak out is now. The time to stand up and resist is now. We must demand the President convene a meeting to discuss an election date with the Leader of the Opposition. It is his duty to act NOW.
Dr. Leslie Ramsammy
Please share this to every Guyanese including your house cats.
Apr 19, 2024
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