PPP picket for early elections continues at Ministry of the Presidency

Aug 14, 2019 News

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) conducted yet another picketing exercise yesterday, near the Ministry of the Presidency.

The People’s Progressive Party demands elections by September 18

The party is advocating for elections by September 18, 2019.
Present at the exercise were PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo; Presidential Candidate, Irfaan Ali; parliamentarians, Zulfikar Mustapha, Neend Kumar, Juan Edghill; several regional executives, and other members of the party.
The procession chanted, “We want elections now! Who must go? Granger!” as it marched down Vlissengen Road.
Jagdeo is adamant that with Ali at the helm of the campaign, the party will win the upcoming General and Regional Elections. The party staged several protests, recently, throughout the country.
“Call elections now! Granger must dissolve parliament now!”
The dissolution is Parliament is one of the several demands the Opposition has made to Government, following the consequential orders of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on the No Confidence Cases.
President David Granger had indicated that his Government is taking the Opposition Leader’s demands seriously and with careful consideration.
Government does not appear to accede to the demand. Minister of Government, George Norton, said at a recent press conference of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) – a body of the APNU+AFC Coalition – that Government is considering having a sitting of the legislative body. It just hasn’t decided on a date yet.
Several bills are slated to be laid in the National Assembly, and the Opposition has indicated that, should it win the election, Bills passed during the period are likely to be considered illegal.
The PPP has also demanded the resignation of the Cabinet, but Granger has refused.
The chant could be heard yesterday: “Caretaker government must respect the Constitution!”
The President had indicated that several restrictions would be placed on the operations of the “interim” Government, out of respect for the Constitution and the rulings of the Court.
The most pivotal decision at this juncture is in the hands of the Chief Justice, Roxane George-Wiltshire, who is expected to rule today on a request made by Attorney-at-law Christopher Ram for a Conservatory Order, halting the House to House exercise, which started on July 20, 2019.
The Opposition contends that claims and objections would suffice to refresh the expired Official List of Electors (OLE), and that House-to-House would not allow for elections to be held by September 18, 2019.
Following the Court ruling today, the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), retired Justice Claudette Singh, will hold a special meeting tomorrow to decide on the way forward.