Dear Editor,
On the evening of December 21, 2018, the National Assembly of Guyana successfully passed a no confidence motion in the David Granger government. The government moved to seek judicial review right up to the Caribbean Court of Justice, Guyana’s apex court. The CCJ on June 18 ruled that the motion was validly passed and the government stood resigned. It subsequently issued Consequential Orders, which include General and Regional Elections must be held no later than September 18, 2019.
The CCJ’s ruling has been ignored by the APNU+AFC coalition and Guyana has now slipped into unconstitutional rule since September 18, 2019.
The CCJ is a creature of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and one would expect that if its decisions were not complied with to be condemned by all right thinking leaders in the Caribbean, whether individually of collectively. However, it is a crying shame that CARICOM, either through its Secretary General or the Conference of Heads of Government has been disappointingly silent on this constitutional crisis, which can have significant implications on Guyana’s future and political stability in the region.
CARICOM didn’t even see the need to publicly welcome the proposed March 2, 2020 date for elections and state if it will send an observer mission or of it will provide the necessary support to GECOM to ensure the elections are free and fair or free from fear.
It is an embarrassment that CARICOM, of which Guyana is a founding member state and where the CARICOM Secretariat has been in a coma on the Guyana situation, even as the United States of America, the European Union, Britain, the Commonwealth Secretary General and the Organisation of American States, as well as the local business, legal and religious fraternities all saw the need to issue public calls for immediate elections in Guyana so that the country can return to constitutional rule.
Editor, with what I outlined, it is now mind-boggling that CARICOM has been silent on the litany of constitutional violations by the David Granger-led APNU+AFC since December 21, 2018.
Why this silence, despite a promise from the Secertary General of Caricom, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque that the community was awaiting the judicial outcome before making public statements?
I want to ask the SG as well as the Chairman of Caricom and the individual Heads of Government the following questions;
Why CARICOM has not discussed the political situation in Guyana at its past Heads of Government meeting?
Why CARICOM has not yet convened an emergency meeting of heads to discuss the political crisis in Guyana?
Why CARICOM has not sought to make known its position on the unconstitutional rule in Guyana?
What exactly is CARICOM’s position on the current situation in Guyana?
Editor, I believe that this regional body has now proven to the people of Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean that it is a useless talk shop.
I therefore call publicly on the SG of CARICOM, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, the Chairman of CARICOM, Prime Minister Allen Chastanet of St Lucia and all regional heads to immediately make known their position on the unconstitutional rule in Guyana. Your silence can be construed as support for an emerging dictatorship in Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
Edward Layne
Pro-democracy advocate
and Citizen of Guyana
