Latest update February 11th, 2025 7:29 AM
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Our democratic credentials and image as a law-governed society are now on trial
DEAR EDITOR,
It is becoming increasingly evident that the APNU-AFC ‘Caretaker’ Government is unprepared to go along with the CCJ’s ruling on the question of holding elections within the constitutionally due period and on the appointment of a GECOM Chairman ‘within the shortest possible time.’
President Granger and other government officials continue to say the right things, but there is a huge gap between what they say and the actual action taken on these two fundamentally-related matters, namely a date for elections and the appointment of a GECOM Chairman.
So far, the ‘hammering out process has failed to deliver any meaningful result – the logical course is to now revert to the constitutional mechanism which provides for the Opposition Leader to name six individuals from which one is selected by the President. This had been the mechanism employed in all previous General and Regional elections since 1992, and it boggles the mind that after so many attempts, a suitable person cannot be found who is ‘not unacceptable’ to the President.
Having regard to the above, I think that the need for some intervention by a mutually agreed international agency is becoming something of a national imperative. I had in an earlier letter suggested that the Commonwealth Secretariat be approached to propose names of experienced and qualified individuals to head GECOM.
Regrettably, the CCJ’s recommendation for a preferred ‘consensual’ approach is taken out of context. It was clearly not meant to supplant the existing constitutional mechanism, but rather, to emphasise an element of mutuality and trust in the selection processes.
The democratic world is paying close attention to how developments are unfolding in Guyana. Our democratic credentials and our image as a law-governed society are now on trial.
Hydar Ally
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