The prorogation must be lifted

Dear Editor,

Clement Rohee must be told that the wellbeing of this nation is for the people to determine. And in the instance where the people, through their elected representatives and government, have submitted themselves to laws, universal declarations, charters and international conventions, the purview is no longer his nor that of the PPP to unilaterally determine what is best for the people. The unchecked arrogance of these men and women, who have hijacked nearly every public institution in this country, needs to be met with a robust response.

It ought to be repeated that while prorogation is an aspect of our parliamentary system and enshrined in the constitution, its present application is misplaced. The President cannot shut down the nation’s highest democratic organ because there is a difference between the opposition and his government. The people’s voice, through their elected representatives, cannot be silenced because the President has appointed to himself supreme over the people. There is no moral justification for the President’s action, neither is the President above Article 9 (ie, sovereignty belongs to the people) and Article 50 (supremacy of the parliament), two critical elements in our governance structure.

It helps the cause in our pursuit for good governance that Guyanese can count on their international brothers and sisters by virtue of being signatory to charters, conventions and declarations. However, at the end of the day, it is we, the people, who will have to lead the charge to have this matter resolved. We will have to stand together, unwavering in our strength and determination to have the institutions we put in place to manage our affairs work for us, and zealously defend them from being hijacked for personal purposes.

Prorogation, in principle, is used to bring an end to a parliamentary session. Usually, at the beginning of each session a parliamentary agenda is placed before the legislature. Usually, before the session is brought to an end, an evaluation of the programme for the period is done. Our National Assembly is being brought into disrepute by the departure from acceptable norms and practices noteworthy in the British Common-wealth. The executive by not having the majority in the legislature is engaging in acts to undermine democracy and the working of this branch of government.

The opposition and all are reminded that rights and privileges carry responsibilities. And in this case, the opposition has a right and responsibility to vigorously pursue holding President Ramotar accountable, and in so doing, pursue their demands for him to lift the suspension. The resignation by the opposition and sections of society to await elections rather than addressing prorogation which is a rape of the spirit and intent of the constitution, is aiding and abetting illegality in the system and conferring on the President immunity never bequeathed by the constitution. To resign and support the President’s action is equivalent to accepting public officials threatening citizens under the pretext that the constitution gives them the right to freedom of expression.

Mr Rohee has the temerity to tell this nation that he has to examine if the British government’s call for lifting the suspension helps the opposition. He has got it all wrong. This issue is not about the APNU, the AFC or the PPP. It is about what is just and fair for the citizens of this country and the respect for their institutions. It is about a constitution that speaks to three branches of government. It is about a constitution that talks about the democratic organs of state and reposes supremacy in the parliament. And if it was well and good for the diplomatic community to be involved in our political affairs prior to 1992 with the PPP leading the call for involvement, then it is hypocritical today to find said involvement unwarranted.

As we seek to take our country back, all constitutional course of action, including protest, must be pursued. The opposition finds itself on the wrong side of history regurgitating and running behind Mr Ramotar’s message about elections at the expense of finding ways and means to have the nation’s highest democratic organ operational. The opposition has to be careful it is not enabling the PPP to violate the spirit and intent of the constitution and shutting the people out of involvement through the National Assembly by encouraging the President’s unjustified and abrupt termination of the work of the 10th Parliament.

The prorogation must be lifted. Parliament must be reopened and its work must continue.

 

Yours faithfully,
Lincoln Lewis