Roguing vs. Proroguing

Jan 13, 2015 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
The name Guyana means ‘Land of Many Waters’, and seemingly that appellation has been extended to a new nomenclature ‘Land of Many Fools”. In 2011, a British analysis and intelligence firm rated Guyana as a “flawed democracy’ with a noted deterioration in media freedom in recent years.
According to the then released Economist Intelligence Unit’s Index of Democracy 2011–”Democracy under stress”, Guyana was rated 77 out of a list of 165 countries and two states. At that time North Korea was the least democratic nation on Earth.
The present state of prorogation only shows the current government from their accountability to the people of Guyana.
Prorogation practices have varied over time, especially in democratic parts of the diaspora. Two methods have been used. Parliament has in recent years been prorogued by proclamation while the House is adjourned, with the date of the new session being fixed by proclamation. The House has also in the past adjourned for a period of time, reconvened, and Parliament has been prorogued shortly thereafter with the new session opening soon afterward.
It is blatantly evident that the Government has prorogued Parliament in order to shut down embarrassing activities of one sort or another. Yes, Mr. Ramotar suspended the legislature to avoid a no-confidence vote, which looked certain to pass. He then attempted to govern our fractious country of 750,000 people without recourse to parliament, possibly until the end of April, when he needed a new budget for routine spending to continue.
Currently, the British Foreign Office Minister, Mr. Tobias Ellwood is calling for Parliament to be resumed at the earliest opportunity. The fact that there have been no local government elections for the last twenty years is yet another attestation of an incursion into the democratic rights of the Guyanese populace. Alongside Britain stands the U.S.A and other countries; all echo the same plea, all wanting to have the same thing done—resume Parliament and hold elections.
In view of the present state of affairs in Guyana and the concomitant behaviour of the people, I am forced to echo the same sentiments as Freddie Kissoon, that Guyana has become a battered nation where everyone has given up even on their obligations to others.
Where is the public outcry over this seeming strong-arming by the Government? Have the faith and endurance of the people not been stretched to the max? While the level of violence in Guyana has soared beyond fathomable proportions, a short prayer should ascend to heavenly heights that no one has taken a political stance and took matters in their own hands. Another cry or outcry should also be sounded loud enough to rouse the natives from their state of political apathy. Yes, the Government may have worn you thin, but rise up, dust off and fight to win.
To prevent a recurrence of Parliament being prorogued again, and to limit the powers of the government to hold the nation at ransom it is imperative, then a resolution should be passed in Parliament stipulating the circumstances in which the prorogation would be allowed, and also those in which it would be prohibited. This approach would send a warning to the government and might encourage them to act with caution.
A law needs to be exercised and put in place, legitimately determining how the power of prorogation is to be exercised. To increase the chances of such a law being declared valid, there should also be a stipulation regarding dates of elections.
So my fellow natives, the morning dawn is fast approaching, get up and walk towards the light.
A change is not out of range. It is my humble opinion that only rogues prorogue, and delay an election for fear of detection. To utilize Guyanese vernacular, ‘you can’t play the goat when it’s time to vote”.
Only Time and Time alone would tell.
Yvonne Sam

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Roguing vs. Proroguing

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