Dear Editor,
Democracy cannot flourish in a lawless climate. No democratic nation today can act in a manner that irresponsibly flouts the rule of law, international norms and conventions without the risk of attracting international condemnation.
Constitutional rule of law, democracy, peace, stability and human rights are all universal values which are considered outside the usual interpretation of interference in the internal affairs of a host country. When there is an imminent threat, the international community is expected to hold governments who act with impunity, accountable for the preservation of those universal values mentioned above.
I welcome the joint communiqué by the American Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch, the UK High Commissioner, Greg Quinn and the European Union Ambassador to Guyana, Fernando Ponz Cantó, that called upon the now illegal President “to set an elections date immediately in full compliance with Guyana’s constitution.”
I am also pleased with the statement issued by the Commonwealth Secretary General, Patricia Scotland, urging “the President of Guyana and all relevant stakeholders and institutions to restore constitutional rule in Guyana by immediately setting an early election date in consonance with its constitution, enabling elections to be held without further delay.”
Strong statements of condemnation also came from the Private Sector Com-mission; the Bar Association; the religious community; the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce (GCCI); the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham); the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana and others including editorials in the Guyana Times and Stabroek News.
I wish to thank them all for their courage and the principled position they took.
When a country signs on to United Nations conventions that guarantee peace, stability and human rights, they give up the right to complain of interference when they themselves are guilty of abusing these issues. Now that Granger is in breach of the constitution, he expects the Diplomatic Corps and civil society to remain silent.
And while most of Guyana is fed-up and out of patience with the arrogance and stubbornness of the illegal President to definitively call a date for elections, the deafening silence of some diplomats, organizations, and most specifically CARICOM leaders, is very worrying.
But as can be expected, not everyone is ready to abandon the sinking ship. There are still a few PNC/APNU+AFC apologists on board who would do or say anything to protect their personal interests, even to the point of shamelessly attacking the Western Diplomats for doing the right thing. None of these hypocrites have had the courage to condemn David Granger for being duplicitous when in 2014, he called upon the same Diplomatic Corps to impose sanctions on the Ramotar government after Ramotar prorogued Parliament.
Granger knew then the correct interpretation of Articles 106(6) and 106(7) of our Constitution and the consequences that flow from the successful passage of a confidence vote. But now the shoe is on the other foot, he conveniently gets amnesia and misrepresents its clear, unambiguous meaning.
Those who now shamelessly protect the Usurper-in-Chief do so to protect their own self- interest. As major beneficiaries of this illegal government, they will continue to ignore Granger’s defiance and will vilify anyone who condemns him for violating the constitution.
Yours faithfully,
Harry Gill
PPP/C Member of Parliament
