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Mar 03, 2019 Features / Columnists, My Column
These are not normal times, although there are some who would want this to be the case. After March 21, unless something happens, the government would be illegal. This is because of the constitution, which stipulates that elections must be held within ninety days of a no confidence motion.
Of course, a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly could make a decision that would alter the ninety-day stipulation. However, there is no move in any direction to have a sitting of the National Assembly, so the push for a two-thirds majority seems out of the question.
There is the caveat that the Guyana Elections Commission is the entity to determine the readiness for the elections, and the commission says that it is just not ready. So there is a problem. The members of the commission are divided on the issue. One side says that the president should be informed that the commission is not ready; the other side says that the commission is close to a state of readiness.
Perhaps recognizing the importance of the March 21 deadline, President David Granger sought a meeting with Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo. However, the unthinkable happened; the Opposition Leader refused to meet with the President.
This is unusual in any part of the world. I cannot picture President Donald Trump or the Queen of England, or Russian President Vladimir Putin, inviting any member of the congress or the parliament and being refused. It is just not done. But it has been done in Guyana.
Jagdeo says that he would only meet if an elections date is on the agenda. And the date for elections is in the hands of the elections commission.
Then there is the matter of the courts. The government has gone to the courts to challenge the no confidence motion. Attorney General Basil Williams is seeking a stay, but the decision would not be known until March 15. If the stay is granted then the government would enjoy a reprieve.
If there is no reprieve, then Guyana could be in a precarious position. Foreign investors would be hesitant to put their money into the country for a number of reasons. Jagdeo has promised to undo any contract or agreement the government would have reached during its extended stay in office. No foreign investor would want to take that risk.
Local businesses would also be hesitant to invest, given the uncertainty. Already there has been a reduction in imports. The business community is not prepared to take chances and this has always been the case in the run-up to elections.
The country would slowly grind to a halt as goods begin to disappear from the shelves. People would begin to worry about jobs and pretty soon the tension could grow. Guyana has had its share of unrest and it can ill afford to have another one now, when the country is beginning to emerge from difficult times.
In days gone by, the leaders would talk to each other. I remember Forbes Burnham would pick up the phone and call his opposite number, Dr Cheddi Jagan. Even when things appeared to be difficult in the country, the two would talk.
Dr Jagan would sometimes drop in on Burnham uninvited. They would discuss the troublesome issues of the day. No matter the acrimony, there was always talking.
Parliamentarians back then also met socially. Even after the apparent hostility during the debates, soon after they would be seen socializing. Such is not the case these days. An observer would believe that they are enemies and indeed they do seem so. This is not helping the country.
I have seen parliamentarians talking to each other outside the House, regardless of what went on inside. The bottom line is that they all recognize the good of the country.
I would suppose that Guyanese are different. They are keen to be leaders, if only to occupy the seat of power. Once there, they tend to pay little attention to the people who put them there. In fact, they pay little attention to the people on the opposite side.
So we have this situation. David Granger is expected to do something. He tried a meeting with Jagdeo and that has failed so far. I do not believe that he can dictate to the elections commission. With the Carter formula, the commission is independent. Any attempt at political dictation would be seen as interference into the affairs of an independent organization.
The government cannot dictate to the tender board or to the Integrity Commission or to the Ethnic Relations Commission. Such an action would draw so much criticism that the government could be labelled a dictator.
Yet this is what is being demanded of the government in the case of the elections commission. The same thing is noticed when it comes to the diplomatic community. There have been times when the foreign ambassadors and high commissioners sought to comment on situations in the country. United States Ambassador Brent Hardt got a dose of hostility from the then government. He was accused of meddling.
Today we are asking the foreign diplomats to meddle in this situation. We want them to intervene. And intervene they should.
Jagdeo giving Exxon 102 cent to collect 2 cent.
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