The Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has accused President David Granger of “mouthing political rhetoric” rather than acting to operationalize the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on the December 21 no confidence vote and the appointment of a chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
Granger yesterday told members of the diplomatic community and civil society that his government is committed to upholding the Constitution and has sought to respect the decisions of the Court. He argued that their intentions had been misinterpreted and sought to explain and clarify.
However according to the opposition, Granger’s claims make him appear oblivious to the flip-flopping and backpedaling he, as well as his colleagues, have been engaged in over the past several months.
They argue that if the President wishes to claim he is committed to ensuring the appointment of a GECOM Chairperson with the utmost urgency then he must explain why there have been no meetings for over a week on the matter.
The last meeting between representatives was on July 18 when the Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, presented four names for consideration. There are already four names deemed “not unacceptable” to the President as part of the necessary list of six. Two names suggested by President Granger, retired Justice Claudette La Bennett and Attorney at Law Kesaundra Alves were on the same day rejected by Jagdeo.
“The PPP is clear that the CCJ ruled that a new GECOM Chairperson must be appointed with “utmost urgency” and that the passage of the no-confidence motion on December 21, 2018 was “valid” – triggering a move to General and Regional Elections,” the Party stressed in a statement last evening.
They also called on President Granger who has maintained that he cannot name a date for elections without the advice of GECOM to say why he has not approached the secretariat for advice.
“Why has the GECOM Secretariat not been invited to advise on its readiness for General and Regional Elections – while the process of a new GECOM Chair is being addressed – when none other than the Chief Election Officer has admitted that a Claims and Objections process can update the last valid List of Electors’ to allow the move to Elections?” they asked.
The CEO has maintained that claims and objections “always has and always will” be enough to refresh an expired list such as the one which expired on April 30.
The party also called on Granger to explained why he and his Cabinet have not resigned, in accordance with Article 106 (6) of the Constitution and why Cabinet is still meeting when the Government’s legal authority has been restrained.
President Granger while accepting the “interim” status of the government as declared by the CCJ has stated that government will continue to function.
The opposition has also asked the President why he has failed to acknowledge that there is a ticking clock, the three-month deadline having been restarted on June 18, 2019 on the time within which constitutionally mandated General and Regional Elections have to be held.
While the High Court has maintained that the consequential orders of the Caribbean Court of Justice indicate that elections be held by September 18th, 2019, or such longer period as the National Assembly determines, President Granger yesterday stressed that “there is no date issued by the CCJ, there are no timelines, there are no deadlines.”
