Leader of the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) Lenox Shuman yesterday called on The New Movement (TNM) MP, Dr Asha Kissoon to do the “honourable thing” and resign from the National Assembly to facilitate a representative from ANUG as was agreed in the three-party memorandum.
Shuman who served in the National Assembly for the first part of the term and later resigned, told Stabroek News that it is “dishonourable” for Dr Kissoon to hold on to the seat and also noted that TNM and A New and United Guyana (ANUG) did not honour the original agreement to the letter.
“…I think the verdict has been unexpected and I think it is very dishonourable..” Shuman said of Dr Kissoon’s action in not vacating her seat after her allotted time had expired.
He then spoke about the two parties making a decision without involving his party.
“Well, what I have said is that neither of the parties (has) respected the agreement. The agreement was I would serve first, ANUG would serve second and TNM would serve third. And ANUG and TNM went ahead and made their own arrangements excluding the Liberty and Justice Party all together,” Shuman said.
ANUG on Saturday offered an explanation for the changed arrangements. It said that because TNM was allocated only a few months by virtue of the Memorandum of Understanding, and was “at risk of being kept out of Parliament altogether, in the event that an early election was called in 2025, ANUG offered to permit TNM to take the seat for their allotted period immediately when Mr. Shuman demitted”.
Meantime, contacted again for a comment on her decision to remain in Parliament Dr. Kissoon, who is also Deputy Speaker, once again said she had “no comment”. She responded twice in that manner on Saturday when contacted by this newspaper. She added yesterday that, “There is no comment now and when I’m ready I will give you the information you are looking for.”
ANUG in a statement on Saturday noted that itself, LJP and TNM, executed a Memorandum of Understanding in January 2020, agreeing to merge the votes earned by them if sufficient to take a seat in Parliament, and to share occupation of that seat in Parliament in proportion to the votes earned by each.
The statement added that the result of the election was that LJP and ANUG, each with more than 2200 votes, would occupy the single seat won by the merger for the majority of the time, while TNM, with 244 votes, was entitled to occupy the seat for 91 days.
Because the Constitution of Guyana provides for the removal of a Member of Parliament only by his resignation or by his removal by the Representative of his party’s List, it was clearly understood that the Memorandum of Understanding was based on trust and integrity, since it would not be enforced in Court, the statement had said, while adding that the three parties would have to trust each other.
“After the 2020 Election, Mr. Lenox Shuman took occupation of the single merger seat on behalf of LJP, and occupied that seat for two and one-half years, before honouring his commitment and resigning…
“Dr. Asha Kissoon duly assumed the seat in Parliament on behalf of TNM. If she intended to honour the commitment made by her in the Memorandum of Understanding, Dr. Kissoon should have resigned that seat in November, 2023”, the statement had said.
Dr Kissoon, the statement pointed out, has now held that seat for more than twice her permitted allocation under the arrangement of trust set out in the Memorandum of Understanding.
“She has so far refused to relinquish her seat, and remains an imposter in possession of the seat as a Member of Parliament against the will of the electorate as a result of her breach of trust, and has not committed in writing to ANUG to any timeline whatsoever to demit office.
“Her single verbal and informal promise to vacate office on 29th February, 2024, three months late, has now apparently also been breached by Dr. Kissoon”, the statement added.
ANUG called on Dr Kissoon “to do the right thing”, stating that it is regrettable that such circumstances have arisen, “further undermining the confidence of the Guyanese people in third parties”.
On January 6 this year, ANUG introduced Althia King as its elected representative to Parliament.
Both the representatives of LJP and TNM, Shuman and Dr Kissoon respectively were elected as Deputy Speaker of Parliament with the support of the governing PPP/C. It is left to be seen how the PPP/C reacts to the ANUG representative when the party takes up the seat.
According to the Representation of the People Act, two or more lists of candidates shall be joined for the distribution of seats (but not for the purpose of voting) if the representative and deputy representative of each list to be so joined gives notice accordingly in writing to the Chief Election Officer not later than the 25th day before election day. The three parties had provided such notice.
