Dear Editor,
It is refreshing to finally read the joint statement issued by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, which unequivocally denounced Guyana’s illegal Government for being “in breach of the Constitution following its failure to adhere to the decisions of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on June 18 and its subsequent orders.”
Kindly permit two comments. First, the de facto President, arguably, admitted to having “breached” the Constitution.
On one hand, he rejected the tripartite joint statement and stated: “My only response is that the Government is abiding by the Constitution in the sense it has allowed the Election Commission, an autonomous agency, to do its work.”
But he also said: “I would be in more grievous breach of the Constitution if I try to intrude or interfere in the work” of GECOM.
There is a clear use of the word “more” in his statement. This coverage may be found online in numerous places, for example, at the website for Capitol News, for news aired for Thursday, September 19.
The second comment pertains to the role, if any, of the Opposition in fixing an election date now that the three months’ timeframe has passed. Persons are calling for Mr David Granger to set an elections date. Can he do so without the help of the Opposition and National Assembly?
The electorate should abide by the Constitution and Article 106 and ask their political leaders to do the same, and not simply accept any proposed GECOM February date without reasoning.
It may well be that now, more than ever given the presence of a rogue Administration at the helm of the State, the Opposition has a role to play in calling elections post-NCM, and indeed, a duty to inquire what has changed within a matter of days to cause the GECOM Chairperson to shift from seeking to deliver elections before year-end (December) to now late February 2020?
This is a legitimate enquiry.
In calling for an elections date that is “in full compliance with Guyana’s Constitution,” the US, UK, and the European Union seem to be saying this: that Mr Granger has to refer to Article 106 and meet with the Opposition as a way to get to a date and also possibly cure for GECOM’s late February state of readiness.
Sincerely,
Rakesh Rampertab