ELECTION WILL BE STALLED UNTIL NEXT YEAR

Feb 23, 2019 Letters

Dear Editor,

It is quite clear that the Coalition Government will go all out to stall elections as long as possible. They will use the court system as an excuse – waiting until the appeal process is fully ventilated, but at the same time, they are making mistakes (may be deliberately) to even delay the process.
The glaring mistakes of dates and omitting the name of a respondent are shameful. From press reports, it appears that Attorney General Basil Williams is not taking the blame for the “faulty” pleadings, which resulted in dialogue with newly appointed Solicitor General, Nigel Hawke, minutes after Justice Rishi Persaud refused to amend the pleadings.
I know Hawke personally. In fact, while I served as Solicitor General in Belize, I recruited him from Guyana to work as Senior Crown Counsel. I was very impressed with his all round ability. He later appeared a few times before the Caribbean Court of Justice.
He was subsequently elevated to Solicitor General. He was the most hardworking, brilliant and meticulous lawyer in the government. Prime Minister, Dean Barrow, an outstanding Senior Counsel said that Hawke was the most efficient and dedicated lawyer he has known.
The hearing of the appeal to the Guyana Court of Appeal is delayed because of the “foul up” by the Attorney General Chambers and it is not known when there will be a full hearing by the local Appellate Court.
It is anticipated that the issue will end up before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). God knows when it will reach there for a final determination by the Courts. There are further obstacles leading to Elections.
GECOM voted to have a house-to-house voters’ registration, which will take at least nine months, although there were local government elections six months ago. Meanwhile, PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo is exploring options for legal action against GECOM for continuing to delay the holding of elections. He is calling for sanctions against the Guyana Government such as freezing bank accounts and prohibition of personal travel.
Jagdeo said that the PNC was dominating the elections management authority with President Granger’s unilateral appointment of its Chairman, retired judge James Patterson.
The Granger administration is bent on ignoring the no confidence motion and the Order made by acting Chief Justice Roxane George. Cabinet is still meeting, but it is using other names such as “plenaries”, press conferences, etc. Critics feel that the Coalition wants to prolong the holding of elections for as long as possible.
However, the PNC has good reason not to worry since there is a rift in the PPP camp. A large number of the supporters do not agree that Irfaan Ali should be the Presidential Candidate since they feel he was handpicked by former President Bharrat Jagdeo coupled with the fact that he is facing a series of criminal charges and his academic certificates he presented are said not to be genuine.
They feel that Anil Nandlall and Frank Anthony would be better choices. Many of them are contemplating to abstain from voting.

Oscar Ramjeet

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