Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Sep 01, 2019 Letters
A letter by Lincoln Lewis on August 24, in the KN- “The no -confidence issue is a first for the nation. Guyanese are operating in the dark and must tread the unknown carefully”, is biased, deceptive and lacking in context of the political realities surrounding the NCM. Lincoln wrote, “The responsibility for the current political environment is not that of the Government or Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), collectively or alone, it is also that of the Opposition. It is a tripartite responsibility requiring action on the part of the interim Government, the interim Opposition, and the constitutional independent GECOM.” The opposition in my opinion is nothing more than an innocent bystander, calling on GECOM and the Govt to deliver the prize (elections) it won on the 21st December and should have received on or before March 31. It seems Lincoln went gleaning in his political hard drive for the term “interim opposition”.
Lincoln quoted line 7 of the CCJ decision, “Article 106 of the Constitution invests the President and the National Assembly (and implicitly in GECOM), responsibilities that impact on the precise timing of when the elections must be held.” Article 106 said elections in 90 days, that having expired on March 31 on account of the govt procrastinating with their ludicrous contentions and GECOM going into a sleeper mode- whilst the matter moved to the CCJ. The CCJ gave a new timeline, starting on July 12. Has the president or GECOM shown any intent or capability in honouring this new timeline? I think not. Despite all the procrastinations on the issue by the govt. Lincoln found it expedient to mention, “Respect for the Rule of Law would now see the MPs returning to the Assembly and granting the extension of time consistent with the “or such longer period” as outlined in Article 106(7).” Surely, the constitutionalist in Lewis ought to know that the framers had to contemplate some kind of natural disaster or a threat to our sovereignty, which could necessitate the sentiments of opposition MP’s to deliver a 2/3 majority to extend the 90-day timeframe, after winning a NCM. Context suggested that the opposition initiated a NCM because of the prize- Govt resign and elections in 90 days- offered by the constitution at 106(7). It is difficult to figure by what scope of the imagination Lewis contemplates that the opposition should cooperate in the extension and collection of their prize in the face of grand pretense and gerrymander tactics by the govt and GECOM before its new chairwoman.
Lincoln conveniently fails to mention that when the CCJ adjudicated on the NCM they also adjudicated on the unilateral appointment of Patterson for GECOM chair, Patterson appointment was deemed unconstitutional. The CCJ give their consequential decision in one piece because it was recognised that GECOM readiness is a big factor in the constitutional requirement for elections in three months. It is in this regard the CCJ advised that the opposition leader has a role to play in upholding his constitutional mandate to supply a list of six candidates for the president to appoint a new GECOM chair. The opposition leader played that role in the appointment of Claudette Singh.
The govt has been calling for credible elections; the opposition wants the same too. The onus is on the independent GECOM to deliver credible elections. There had been numerous letters from Govt supported commentators pontificating the Govt position that H2H registration is needed for credible elections. Likewise there were numerous letters from opposition commentators, trying to extol that a credible list could be achieved through claims and objections. Lincoln, in his bias, made no mention of the Govt commentators but he opined that the opposition,” has to be much more than creating chaos, disorderliness and disunity, for such stand to further destabilise this country and the institutions of government.”
The fact that Lincoln used the term “institutions of Government” mirrors the quintessential undoing of our democracy. When a commentator of the caliber of Lincoln Lewis cannot find it in his heart to separate “state from govt”, even on paper. It paints a dismal picture of our state of affairs in Guyana. In Guyana, one has to learn to adopt the mode of selective listening and selective reading. You have to filter out the fake and the fiction or the spam before it reaches your brain and compromise your sanity
Rudolph Singh
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