The constitutional clock has begun to tick

Jan 12, 2019 Letters

Dear Editor,

In examination of the noises caused by the strident, Yes! Yes! Yes! of Honourable Member of Parliament Charrandass Persaud that have now ebbed and flowed in the national space since the night of December 21, 2018, I am drawn to Edward Fitzgerald’s “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on: nor all your Piety nor Wit shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it.”
That a single sentence should encapsulate all that has transpired to date is to recognize the power of poetry and to understand the importance of literature to any society. Fitzgerald’s translation of Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat speaks a pristine truth.
The National Assembly approved a resolution of no-confidence in the Government. There is no going backwards on this vote. Indeed, there could not even be a pause in the proceeding. The finger had written and moved on. We are witnessing the attempts to lure that finger back, witty use of mathematics; public wailing; gnashing of teeth; invoking of piety; all to no avail.
The 90-day clock as prescribed by the Constitution, our supreme law, has begun to tick. As I write this, another day passes and the clock shows 69 days left before a General and Regional Election must be held as mandated.
On March 21, 2019, that countdown expires. This countdown is inviolate and is unhindered by any process or institution. The Judiciary may well have matters in front of it that pertain to various interpretations of the Constitution, but they do not in any way affect this clock, any determinations can only apply to future Motions of Confidence.
The state of readiness of the Guyana Elections Commission is not a factor; it is the President who sets the date of the Elections. GECOM is provided billions of dollars in funding annually to be in a state of near readiness at all times in compliance with the vagaries of our Constitution. That tail cannot wag the dog.
The Granger administration may shed tears, but they should also end the disingenuous attempts to mislead our nation. We have no ‘constitutional crisis’. The conflicts of Article 106 (6) and (7) will soon be resolved by the electorate.
At that point members of the APNU+AFC administration may well find acts that go beyond the description of ‘caretaker’ being examined by the judiciary for interpretation.
Editor, I hope this letter illustrates the need for the much-maligned Arts in our education system; life cannot be lived by mathematical formulas alone, that may well lead us to being half the men and women, which we are meant to be.

Respectfully
Robin Singh

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