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Elections will be held on March 2 – Granger clarifies
President David Granger yesterday made it clear that elections will be held on March 2, 2020, even if the Opposition refuses to go back to Parliament.
The clarification would come hours after the President addressed the nation, but left questions about whether he had actually fixed a date.
President David Granger clarified yesterday that elections will be held on March 2, 2020
According to his address on Wednesday, after discussions with Chairman of the Elections Commission, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, and with his “Cabinet”, the earliest possible date for the holding of General and Regional Elections would be on Monday, 2nd March 2020.
The Opposition, especially, widely interpreted that as no date being fixed, and elections can happen anytime after that date.
The Opposition accused the administration of continuing to play more games.
Yesterday, speaking to reporters after a scheduled event, the President said: “Elections will be held on 2nd March. That was the advice I received. I did not want to use perhaps more definitive terms, because I expected that in accordance with the Constitution, we should have to go to Parliament, but if we don’t, if the opposition does not go to Parliament, well we will abide by what I said last night, and elections will be held on 2nd March. That’s as definitive as I can get.”
The Head of State said information on the date was considered by both the members of his Cabinet and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). He also expressed his satisfaction with Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM)’s extended Claims and Objections period.
“I am satisfied that the Commission is confident that the extended Claims and Objections period would allow all the electors to indicate whether there are any claims or objections. I am satisfied that was the assurance given by the Chairman of the Commission.”
The announcement on Wednesday followed the GECOM’s Chairman missive on September 19, 2019, indicating that the body would be able to deliver credible elections by the end of February 2020.
President Granger met with his Cabinet twice to discuss the timeline provided by the Commission. He also met Justice Singh on Wednesday for discussions on the statutory timelines for the upcoming General and Regional Elections before his address to the nation.
During his address, the President said that the extension of a period beyond three months for the holding of an election is related to the Elections Commission’s readiness to hold the elections. “The Government of Guyana must, as a consequence, return to the National Assembly to request an extension. The National Assembly reconvenes on 10th October 2019. The President is required to both dissolve Parliament as provided for in the Constitution at Article 70 (2) and the ten Regional Democratic Councils as provided for in the Constitution at Article 73 (2).”
The holding of early general elections was necessitated after a December 21st no-confidence motion tabled by the Opposition saw the one-seat majority Coalition Government falling.
This was after one of their own, Charrandass Persaud, voted in favour of the motion.
Government challenged the validity of the vote in different courts, which ruled it was carried properly.
In accordance with the law, fresh elections were supposed to be held in three months.
It has been over nine months now.
The country has been heavily divided, with Guyana set to start producing its first oil in a matter of months.
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