PPP not flexing on deadline for polls, Jagdeo says

Insisting that elections have to be held by March 21st, PPP general Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday called on the government to comply with the constitution in keeping with the ruling by the Chief Justice upholding the validity of the no-confidence vote passed against it. Jagdeo, who is opposition leader, appeared to shut the door on negotiating an extension with the government, which he said has not made any serious moves towards facilitating elections preparations. As a result, he maintained that he will not hold any further talks with government unless President David Granger publicly accepts the recent ruling and announces a date for the polls. “If the president announced the elections and the date for the elections within the constitutional period, I think that’s ground to meet. We are not getting caught up again with [the] PR stunt by DPI and the government,” Jagdeo told a press conference yesterday after being asked whether he is inclined to meet again with the president. Jagdeo led an opposition team to a meeting with Granger last month. Based on what was subsequently revealed, much was not achieved as Granger insisted the government is lawfully engaging the court and until the conclusion of the legal proceedings, parliament will remains functional and the government’s work would continue as normal.

School of the Nations unveils security plan ahead of reopening but concerns persist

Amid unease due to threats made to injure students of the School of the Nations and the subsequent shooting of its principal outside his home on Sunday, a security plan was yesterday presented to parents but some remain concerned that the planned measures are not enough. In preparation for the reopening of the school on Monday, parents were yesterday brought up to date with the developments and changes that they will see at the school in the coming weeks to address their security concerns. Works have already started in some areas. Violent threats were made via Facebook to the student body of the privatelyrun school last Saturday. This resulted in an emergency meetings late Sunday afternoon. Hours after addressing parents’ security concerns, principal of the school Dr Brian O’Toole was shot by a gunman at his home. This resulted in another meeting where a decision was made by the school’s administration to close the school until the security concerns were addressed. Dr Brian O’Toole

MPs with dual citizenship disqualified by Chief Justice’s ruling, lawyers say

In the event that the National Assembly is reconvened to consider extending the deadline for the holding of general elections, those members who have dual citizenship will have to be replaced in light of the recent ruling by Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire, according to attorneys who were involved in the litigation. On Thursday, Chief Justice George-Wiltshire held that former government Member of Parliament (MP) Charrandass Persaud was not “not qualified” for election to the National Assembly by virtue of his own acts in acknowledging allegiance and adherence to a foreign power to the sovereign state of Canada, in contravention of Article 155 (1) (a). She was at the time ruling on an application by Berbice resident Compton Reid challenging the validity of Persaud’s eligibility to be in the National Assembly, given that he is a citizen of Canada, as well as the legality of his critical vote that led to the passage of the December 21st no-confidence motion against the government. Notwithstanding his ineligibility to be a member, the judge upheld the validity of his vote and the motion. Speaking to reporters after the ruling at the High Court, Senior Counsel Neil Boston and attorneys Anil Nandlall and Sanjeev Datadin all agreed that those MPs who occupy seats in the House will have to vacate them.