All constitutional players must act with integrity

Aug 20, 2019 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,

“Supporting the truth, even when it is unpopular, shows the capacity for honesty and integrity” – Steve Brunkhorst
Every Guyanese that embraces truth and that would proudly divorce themselves from the politics of racism would agree that elections in Guyana is being unnecessarily delayed by the APNU/AFC Government that is desperately holding onto power. Elections have not been held because of court cases or because of a credible voters’ list. The court cases and the House-to-House Registration are/were used as excuses to delay the constitutionally due Elections. Even the unlearned amongst us have recognised this transparent ploy.
The cry of every decent, fair-minded and upstanding citizen is for constitutional compliance, that is to say, obedience to Articles 106 (6) and (7) of the Constitution. The thousands of PPP/C supporters countrywide and growing numbers of others including civil society groups in various protest actions demanding the resignation of the Cabinet, the dissolution of Parliament and the naming of an Election date is not just playing politics; Elections should have been held on or before March 21, 2019. An undisputable fact!
The President if he wants to be described as a man of integrity, would have already named a date for Elections and not hide behind GECOM. However, it has been 8 months and counting since the successful passage of the No Confidence Motion (NCM) of December 21, 2018. We have had the definitive ruling of the CCJ on June 18, 2019, the issuance of consequential orders on July 12, 2019; we have had the rulings on August 14, 2019 of our own Chief Justice who stated that House-to-House Registration cannot deregister people who are already on the National Register of Registrants (NRR) database. This credible database was used for the holding of the 2011 and 2016 General and Regional Elections and the 2016 and 2018 Local Government Elections. There was no complaint from any party as it relates to the quality and credibility of the NRR before the NCM.
The charade continues, the new narrative being projected comes from the toothless, useless, headline seeking WPA on August 16, 2019 that is to say “Elections would be held in mid-December of this year”. These few individuals who crave public recognition and are now the beneficiaries of the largesse of the state because of their association with the defeated APNU/AFC Government as one of the listed Coalition partners is content to sit at a press conference and without an iota of moral rectitude peddle a narrative that was given to them about Elections in mid-December, more than 4 months away, ignoring totally the constitution, the rulings of the CCJ, the rulings of the Chief Justice but continues with some plan that factors in the now exposed PNC ‘rigging plan’ of House-to-House Registration.
It is unbelievable that some who were considered key opinion makers and objective analysts and academics now for the sake of filthy lucre and the enjoyment of the current squandermania will spew and advocate such outlandish and bizarre statements as if they are the ‘good guys’ advocating for early elections.
It was not surprising that this was followed by a story in the media where the Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs, Ms. Valerie Garrido-Lowe of the AFC was reported to have said at a meeting at Springlands in Region 6 that the Elections is in December of this year. It is clear that both of these ‘political parrots’ namely from the AFC and the WPA are reading from the song sheet prepared and distributed by the PNC/Congress Place Cabal.
GECOM now has a chairperson, the Chief Justice has ruled, the CCJ has ruled, GECOM must now obey the constitution. Elections should be in a matter of weeks, not December 2019. What is required is for a period of claims and objections to produce an official list of Electors (OLE), Nominates Day, and the Election 32 days after. Why are these tainted mouthpieces seeking to offer excuses for further delays? With all reasonableness, counting from Monday, August 19, 2019, with the abundance of caution allowing for 3-4 weeks of claims and objections that will take us to September 18, 2019 by which time we can have a certified OLE. Elections can be held before the end of October 2019. Why do we have to wait for December? I ask the following:
1) Is the Government hoping to continue the abuse of the allocations in the 2019 Budget to buy support for these Elections? We are aware of the hurried arrangements for the award of contracts without public tender and the movement of monies from one line item to another line item within Budget Agencies to facilitate these expenditures. The people of Guyana will not be fooled by these ‘ice cream promises’ and ‘pipe dreams’.
2) Is the Coalition Government hoping that because of the festive season of Christmas, Guyanese will ‘switch out’ and forget the hardships that they have experienced and the political fatigue that they have endured as a result of the APNU/AFC’s unwillingness to obey the constitution? APNU/AFC should be reminded of their failed attempt of doing the same with NCM by putting it to December 21, 2019. We, the PPP/C had requested that the NCM be debated before Budget 2019.
3) Is the defeated Coalition Government hoping for a year-end ‘money splurge’ of salary increases and payments of long overdue bonuses and non-salaried benefits to public servants and the discipline forces to swing things in their favor? The people of Guyana are aware of the Government’s broken promises and insincerity. They will not be fooled. They remember the more than 200 new tax measures, increases in licenses and fees and the removal of other welfare benefits. The people want Elections now.
4) Is it a matter of sheer bravado and ‘politics of bullyism’ to prove a point that the Government could stay in office as long as it wants? Every day more and more Guyanese are concluding and deciding on what to do with this undemocratic, authoritarian, dictatorial cabal who remains in office, outside of constitutional cover. The Caretaker status only lasts for three months. An extension has not been sought and will not be given as publicly stated by the Parliamentary Opposition.
5) Lastly, is the Government hoping for a deal that will deliver them out of the murky water that they are traversing? The APNU/AFC Caretaker Government have utilized Billions of taxpayers’ dollars in Cabinet outreaches, now Ministerial Outreaches, flights to the interior, handouts and other gimmicks. None of it did turn the tide nor will it turn the tide. The fact is the people of Guyana do NOT TRUST the Coalition Government. They were rejected with the successful passage of the NCM.
GECOM must play its part, and act with the integrity. GECOM must obey the constitution and without succumbing to political pressure, prepare for Elections. Mr. Granger must stop pontificating and name a date for Elections. The December hoax that the apologists in the WPA and the AFC are pushing will not suffice. The people want Elections now, not in December.
All constitutional players must act with integrity.
Yours sincerely,
Bishop Juan A. Edghill
PPP/C MP

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