If Guyana falters now, the Caribbean community will be “worse off” – Former Jamaican Prime Minister

Jan 07, 2019 News

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By Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell

 “Guyana’s leaders must rise above this. Too much is at stake… Caricom must stand ready to offer assistance, if needed, in a way that is acceptable to both the Government and the Opposition. Guyana cannot afford to falter at this time — not when it is on the cusp of a new horizon of hope and real possibilities. And if it falters, the entire Caribbean community is the worse off”- Former PM, Golding

Former Prime Minister of Jamaica, Bruce Golding thinks that the stability and strength of Guyana at this time is paramount to the well being of the entire Caribbean. In a column published in the Jamaica Observer yesterday titled “Guyana must carefully manage its constitutional crisis,” Golding wrote that Guyana cannot afford to falter at this time—when economic success is on the horizon. He stated that if the country does, the entire Caribbean community will be worse off.

Golding’s comments were forthcoming in the face of the political climate in the aftermath of the successful passage of the No-Confidence motion against the APNU+AFC Government on December 21.
The former Prime Minister said that with oil production expected to start next year, Guyana is in a position to become a significant oil producer — “several times greater than Trinidad & Tobago — with tremendous benefit to its economy, its people and the region, if properly managed.”
The politician said that in such a scenario, political stability is a critical factor to ensure investor confidence not only in oil extraction but also in the wide range of downstream industries and enterprises that it would make possible.
“CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS”
Golding said that the prospect of that stability is now being tested by the “constitutional crisis” that has emerged after Alliance For Change defector, Charrandass Persaud voted with the People’s Progressive Party opposition to bring down his own government.
Golding said that initially, the comments of President David Granger, Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo and Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo reflected political maturity and “those of us who are familiar with the turbulence of Guyana’s politics in the past were comforted that this crisis would pass without any major dysfunction. We now find ourselves holding our breath.”
LEGAL CHALLENGES
Golding said that many are now holding their breaths since the same politicians are now acting in a manner that does not necessarily display the same sense of political maturity as in the beginning. The government is putting up a fight, and the opposition boycotted a sitting of the National Assembly.
Golding noted that the Government has since embraced Nigel Hughes’ opinion since one-half of the membership of parliament is 32½, 34 votes are required to secure a definitive majority — not 33, which exceed the one-half by only “half-a-vote”. The former PM noted that those were the grounds on which the Government sought a ruling from the Speaker to overturn the motion.
“To the surprise of many who expected him to rule in favour of the Government, Speaker Barton Scotland last Thursday rejected the request and suggested that the matter be referred to the courts for a determination. The Opposition PPP boycotted the sitting — a troubling sign that the goodwill which initially penetrated the cloud of uncertainty is waning,” said Golding.
“The matter has been further complicated by three other issues. Firstly, it is reported that Mr. Persaud holds Canadian citizenship, which would have made him ineligible to sit in parliament. Whether such ineligibility would have invalidated his vote on the no-confidence motion is a matter that would have to be determined by the courts.
Secondly, it has been alleged that he was paid a substantial sum to vote in support of the no-confidence motion — a charge that he has emphatically denied. This allegation would first have to be substantiated and then the courts would have to determine whether such an act, if it is proven, nullifies his vote on the resolution.
Thirdly, it has been suggested that the constitution does not allow Mr. Persaud to vote against the party list from which he derived his membership in parliament. Guyana operates under a system of proportional representation that is vastly different from the constituency first-past-the-post system we have in Jamaica. Members are drawn based on the percentage of votes obtained by each party from lists of potential MPs submitted prior to the elections.”
Golding noted that the Guyana constitution stipulates that a person shall cease to be a member of the National Assembly if he declares “in writing” that he will not support the party list from which his membership was derived, or that he will support “another list”. Golding pointed out that no such declaration “in writing” occurred in this instance but the argument has been proffered that a declaration is implicit in the act of voting against his party list.
The former Prime Minister said that it would take some time for the issues to be adjudicated in the courts — first through Guyana’s Supreme Court and Court of Appeal and, ultimately, the Caribbean Court of Justice. He noted that the Government has already signalled that, in order to facilitate this, it will be seeking the court’s approval for an extension of the 90-day period within which elections must be held. The Opposition has countered that under the constitution the Court has no such authority.
Golding said that a protracted period of uncertainty in its political arrangements is something that Guyana can ill afford, especially at this time.
He noted that Guyana has struggled to overcome deeply polarising instincts, and “there is a worrying possibility that this issue could reignite them.”
Golding was keen to note that the leaders must rise above this. He said that too much is at stake. “The private sector and the trade union movement must be prepared to constructively engage, grasp the big picture, and collaborate with the Government and Opposition toward a solution that will sustain confidence and stability and enable Guyana to get through this.
Caricom must stand ready to offer assistance, if needed, in a way that is acceptable to both the Government and the Opposition. Guyana cannot afford to falter at this time — not when it is on the cusp of a new horizon of hope and real possibilities. And if it falters, the entire Caribbean community is the worse off.”

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