Our nation is in crisis because of the levels to which our political leaders are prepared to sink for power

Oct 06, 2019 Letters

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Dear Editor:

Recognising the intense deceptive lobbying efforts of the PPP in fueling a series of orchestrated distorted views of the Caribbean Court of Justice’s (CCJ) ruling and the constitutional requirements to aid Guyana’s restoration of constitutional normalcy and peaceful resolution of our current political crisis, I publicly called on the government on several occasions not to bow to the engineering calls for proclamation of a date for elections. The decision for so doing is now justified in the recent statement made by acting Chief Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire SC. As reported in the Kaieteur News (KN) 5th October, 2019. “…she maintained that the election timeframe set out in the Constitution has already elapsed and it is now for Parliament to extend same.” I am also on record calling for full compliance of the CCJ’s ruling and Article 106 of the Guyana Constitution. KN headlines that the “Chief Justice to rule on resignation of Cabinet on October 16.”

Our nation is in crisis!

We are at serious risk of compounding the fractures already existing in our society and it is not merely because of the constitutional upheaval created by a successful confidence motion. It is because of the levels to which our political leaders are prepared to sink in their quest for power- by any means necessary. We are in crisis because truth no longer cements the building blocks of our society, because morality, social responsibility, and public accountability have been thrown through the windows by our political leaders; because our Constitution is being bent and distorted by power-hungry politicians and mercenary or misguided lobbyists who, like hired guns, execute assignments, only caring about what they are being paid and not about the disruption they cause, for the ends justify their means; because sections of our media fail in their obligation as the fourth estate, to help our nation heal and develop in accordance with lawful practices and interpretations; because we the people allow ourselves to remain fragmented and useful pawns for politicians instead of exercise our power to hold all and sundry accountable to the public good- regardless of race, class, status, and political association.
Today Guyana has committed another unnecessary and misguided constitutional error all because Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo, was able to successfully misguide Guyanese, the international community and bring international pressure on the David Granger administration functioning in a caretaker mode to act outside of the constitutional and CCJ ruling. This actuality will hopefully not fly past the consciousness of the international community and those U.S government officials who have been taken for a ride by Mr. Jagdeo. Shame has been brought on Guyana by the PPP’s continuous distortion of the truth. Not to forget the weakness of the government has been highlighted. The latter, in trying to quell/satisfy the demands of the international community instead of putting forth their argument in a cogent manner as to why they could not issue a proclamation naming an election date and why the Opposition must return to Parliament has missed an opportunity to stand firm. This could be interpreted by some as having no appetite or will for a serious political fight as being waged by the PPP with the help of invited overseas interference.
What we face today is a date for election announced without the National Assembly regularising the government status to do so. Mr. Jagdeo was fully aware of this requirement but he chose to circumvent said requirement ranting and raving as he demanded a date for elections be called. The CCJ in its Consequential Order of July 12, 2019 ruled resolution to the current situation is vested in the “President, National Assembly (and implicitly GECOM)” yet compliance is being demanded from the President and GECOM, not the National Assembly.

We have reached a level of political madness never before seen and all on the desire to acquire power by any means necessary. Voices of reason, including the court, who seem to be crying in the wilderness must continue to do their job. The political fever must break or at least history will record persons and institutions stood up and spoke out.

We have an opportunity now to recognise the chaos that misguided public pressure and international lobbying can do. We have a responsibility to resist all who try to force us in wrongdoing and must together vow never to allow the subversion of our Constitution, the Laws of Guyana and the ruling of the CCJ, Guyana’s court of last resort. Continuation of such violation sets the wrong precedent that may allow for transgressing workers/citizens’ rights.

Lincoln Lewis.

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