Government Falls General Elections in three months

Dec 22, 2018 News

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In a historic political move, Alliance For Change (AFC) member, Charrandass Persaud voted with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) on a no confidence motion, a move that forces the collapse of the coalition Government and early General Elections.
Persaud’s vote gave the PPP/C a 33-32 majority at the end of a fiery debate and a tense voting process.
This is the first time that a Guyana Government has agreed to debate a no confidence motion and it is also the first time the Government has lost such a vote.
Under the Constitution, the Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.

Further, the Constitution states that notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members.
During the vote count at the end of the debate on the Motion brought by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, all 32 PPP/C MPs voted in favour of the Motion. Persaud was the third member of the Government side to vote. When Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, first called Persaud’s name he replied, ‘yes’.
His yes was followed by shouts of ‘no’ from the Government benches. Then there was momentarily pause.
The Clerk then called Persaud’s name again and he replied ‘yes’ for a second time. The Clerk then stopped the vote count. The PPP MPs then objected to this delay.
During that time, Government MPs, including People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Chairwoman, Volda Lawrence, and AFC Leader, Raphael Trotman, were seen reaching out to Persaud. Lawrence then asked for a five-minute recess, but House Speaker, Dr. Barton Scotland, denied the request, pointing out that the vote process must continue.
Isaacs then restarted the vote count of the Government MPs. When Persaud’s name was called for a third time, he replied, ‘Yes, yes, yes’.
At the conclusion of the sitting, Persaud told the media that the AFC members are sitting in Parliament as ‘yes men’ to the A Partnership for National Unit (APNU).
“We have not blended with the APNU. The other parties have. We have not. The Government is APNU/AFC. We have not blended. Why are we doing everything they want to do like passing Prime Minister Hamilton Green’s Pensions Bill. That man is getting favours from the PNC, not from us.
“Why are we giving him taxpayers money? And we voted for that. We are not opposing anything; We are not saying no to anything,” Persaud told reporters on the corridors of Parliament.
Persaud, an Attorney-at-Law, said that there are times when one has to vote according ‘to your conscience and not because of party affiliation’.
“I am not a PPP member. I am not affiliated with the PPP. This is not because of the PPP. This is because my conscience is now clear. My life may go; you know what? I would die a happy person with a clear goddamn conscience,” Persaud noted.
He also took aim at Lawrence’s controversial comments, “I am PNC; my friends are PNC. I will give work to PNC’.”
He said that he wrote to Trotman as the AFC Leader to indicate that the party needs to make a statement.
“He [Trotman] defended Volda Lawrence for having said that…The Minister was overwhelmed because of the loss at the Local Government Elections. What did Volda Lawrence do, she apologised for having said something she should not have said.
“Trotman looks like he was just pi**ed on by Volda Lawrence and I am taking all of that as a member of the AFC because we have no say. This is the one time that I have a say and I said it according to my conscience,” Persaud pointed out.
Persaud also noted that the Government destroyed the lives of sugar workers in a village in which he resides.
“If I die not because people may not be happy with what I have done, I will die a happy person,” Persaud noted. He also claimed not to have spoken to Jagdeo about his vote.

REACTIONS

Outside the Parliament, security was beefed up. Police closed the gate and formed a barricade between public buildings and APNU supporters, many of whom had camped outside Parliament for the entire debate.
Along the Parliament corridors, some Government supporters were seen with tears in their eyes as they related the 23 years of struggle to remove the PPP/C administration in 2015.
Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, was in discussion with the Jagdeo regarding security for MPs, especially Persaud.
Jagdeo said that PPP has been making a pitch for MPs to vote according to their conscience.
“We had hoped that a number of people would, but we couldn’t say that we were expecting a particular person,” Jagdeo noted.
He stated that both sides have to display maturity in this unprecedented move.
“It is a feature of the Constitution. It was there since Forbes Burnham was President. It was used today in a democratic setting. We all have to respect our constitution,” Jagdeo stated.
He stated that the party was hoping to have got at least two votes.
“I myself was a bit surprised with the vote. I suspect that he (Persaud) comes from the sugar belt and living in that community he probably saw the hardships,” Jagdeo noted.
The Government was locked in a meeting and later faced the media.
In 2014, it was the AFC in collaboration with APNU in opposition that tabled a No Confidence Motion against the PPP/C Government led by President Donald Ramotar. Instead of allowing the Motion to be debated, Ramotar prorogued the House and called General Elections in 2015.
Prior to yesterday’s debate, the Government was certain that its one-seat majority would prevail against Jagdeo’s Motion. Government MPs led by Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, had said, ‘bring it on’

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