All talk?…Rohee challenges PM Nagamootoo on promise to reduce presidential powers

By: Devina Samaroo

Following numerous occasions of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo speaking extensively about the need for the presidential powers to be reduced, seven months have elapsed since the new administration took office but to date nothing of this commitment has been realised.

People’s Progressive Party General Secretary Clement Rohee appears keen on holding Nagamootoo to his words, calling on him to expose his “testicular perspicacity” and make a move to clip President David Granger’s wings.

“Not a single initiative has been taken by Nagamootoo to humble the powers of the President and the excess of the Executive… Let’s see if he has the testicular perspicacity to do so in the upcoming review of the constitution,” Rohee posited.

Though he is advocating for the coalition to fulfil its promise in this regard, Rohee declined to comment on the PPP’s position about the lessening of presidential powers.

“That’s not for me to determine. Nagamootoo is the man who said that and that he would humble the powers of the President… Let the commission that will meet subject to parliamentary approval make that determination,” Rohee said.

Rohee also pointed out that it appears as though tables have turned for Nagamootoo who had intended to lessen the powers of the executive.

“Nagamootoo has abandoned and his high-sounding and ambitious reform objectives and instead of his ‘humbling’ Granger’s presidential powers, Granger, for his part, has humbled Nagamootoo’s ambition by refusing to allow him to chair Cabinet meetings, and has limited his portfolio responsibilities to that which was administered by Kwame McCoy under the PPP/C administration,” he explained.

Soon after being sworn in as Prime Minister, he again stated that he wants to “start on humbling the powers of the President, the excess powers of the Executive, and to bring about inclusion within the government system.”

At a campaign rally in Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara, Nagamootoo declared that part of the problem in Guyana is that too much power is concentrated in one person’s hand and that this needed to be changed in order for Guyana to move forward.

Also, in the coalition’s manifesto, it promised to, within the first 100 days, establish a Constitutional Reform Committee to amend the Constitution including the rebalancing of powers and responsibilities of the President and Prime Minister in a manner meant to reduce abuse, avoid conflicts of interests, and facilitate the more efficient execution of state functions.

However, Rohee reminded that the committee is yet to be convened.

Government had established a Constitutional Reform Steering Committee that was tasked with setting up the framework for substantive constitutional reforms and to define the scope of the actual reform process and the establishment of terms of reference and mechanisms for consultations to establish a Constitutional Reform Commission.

This report was recently submitted to the Prime Minister for review.

Rohee contended however that the Steering Committee is nothing but farcical since it consists mainly of pro-government officials.

He also asserted that the establishment of the committee without any consultation with the parliamentary opposition is a mark of utmost disrespect.