Elections is the only course of action which will end the abuse of the democratic rights of Guyanese and the disregard for the parliamentary process, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) said yesterday while noting that it supports the criticisms the government is getting from the diplomatic community.
At a press conference yesterday APNU MPs Basil Williams and James Bond spoke at length about the damage the Donald Ramotar administration has done to the country’s democracy.
Reading from a prepared statement, Williams said the party supports international criticism of the PPP/C administration over “its damage to parliamentary and local democracy in Guyana”. He said the president failed to conduct local government elections and to recall the National Assembly after he prorogued Parliament on November 10 last.
After quoting a number of comments made by diplomats, foreign missions and local non-governmental organisations, Williams said Ramotar will be remembered forever “as the president who inflicted the greatest damage on parliamentary and local democracy.” He said the president has violated the “spirit” of the constitution.
“This prorogation conflicts with Article 13 which speaks to an inclusionary democracy …,” he said, adding that the president’s failure to sign the Local Government Bill into law was another sign of his “disrespect to the constitution and to parliamentary democracy.”
Williams later said the president has refused to recognise the independence and authority of the Parliament.
He cited government’s move to the court to challenge the non-approval of funds and its spending of $37 billion not approved in 2014 as evidence of its disregard for parliamentary democracy.
Bond stated that the injury that would have been done cannot be allowed to go unchecked or untreated. Democracy, he said, is a right of every single Guyanese and which has been fought for and struggled for.
“To have that right trampled upon in the manner in which it is now and then to be offered a diet of excuses…abuses, I think a strong message needs to be now be sent to the administration. The president has made some very empty and shallow statements and comments about our democracy…that we wanted to wait and delay because of Christmas, because he wanted to have talks with the leader,” he said.
“I think we should let the president know and let the administration know that the Guyanese people are through and have had enough and I believe there can’t be any greater sending of a message than to force the government’s hand to call elections now,” he added stressing that this will be the “only remedy to the abuses and injuries…Only elections right now can solve this problem.”
He accused the PPP/C of doing everything in its power to “deny the inevitable end”. He urged the government to call elections within the next few months.
Meanwhile, the AFC on Thursday warned that as elections draw closer, the PPP will capitalise on the opportunity to buy voters over by playing “Santa Claus” with taxpayers’ money.
Cathy Hughes, Member of Parliament, further said the PPP will attempt to pass its campaigning off as official work for the government.
“At all previous elections, the incumbent is known for using state-owned public transport for campaigning. When criticised, they would claim to be conducting ‘government business’ but everyone knows they are campaigning,” Hughes maintained.
She continued, “It is ridiculous how many flights to the interior and how many trips to Berbice and Essequibo have to be made to conduct ‘government business’ during campaign period.
It leaves one to wonder whether any business was done before the campaign period.”
Furthermore, she said, the campaigning has extended to buying votes under a ruse. Noting the situation in Amerindian villages where persons are employed as Community Support Officers and are given a stipend to work, Hughes believes that this is a cover to buy the votes of Amerindians.
“As time for the polls draws closer, it would be like Christmas all over again with the government playing a Santa Claus role – handing out tractors, boats and engine, buses, fixing roads and bridges that were not even looked at since the last election,” Hughes maintained. She went on, “Communities will get money to fix their playgrounds, there will be donations for youth groups and sports clubs, all of this to induce the electorate to vote for the incumbent.”
However, Hughes said, these handouts do not come directly from the party but rather the people themselves.
“The fact is, these ‘gifts’ would actually be provided from the national coffers but the way they would be handed out would give the impression that they are being funded directly by the PPP,” Hughes said.
