PPP plans protests until elections date set despite police warning over disorder
In the face of a warning by the police force that it would seek to prevent a recurrence of the disorder caused by the People’s Progressive Partys (PPP) protest against President David Granger last Thursday, the opposition party yesterday maintained that it did no wrong and would continue to stage such demonstrations countrywide until a date for elections is fixed.
The party’s made its position clear in response to a statement that was issued on Friday by the Guyana Police Force (GPF), which said the “peaceful conduct” of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) at the Pegasus Hotel was interrupted by the demonstrations. “While the Police Force respects the rights of all citizens to protest and has no objection to persons conducting peaceful protest, such acts will not be condoned,” it said, while adding that it will endeavour to prevent and respond whenever necessary to any such reoccurrence and warned that anyone found in breach of the law will be dealt with in a condign manner.
The PPP voiced its “deep apprehension and concern” over what it called “the veiled threats” issued by the GPF against citizens who have decided to register their protestations “against an illegal and unconstitutional” government.
The party noted that the Constitution at Article 147 (1) guarantees to every citizens of this country, as a fundamental right and freedom, the right to assemble, associate and demonstrate peacefully.
Against this background, it said it wanted to assure the GPF and the entire nation that it will stand as the vanguard to ensure that Guyanese are not denied the opportunity to exercise their rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and the rule of law.
“We maintain that the PPP sponsored protest action on the 19th September 2019, outside and inside of the Pegasus Hotel was peaceful and in a manner contemplated and provided for by the Constitution. Hundreds of cameras were rolling, live streaming the event worldwide. The record is still available. Not a single act of violence or intimidation can be identified. Honest members of the GPF, present at the venue, will be able to confirm that there was absolutely no need for them to use force of any type at the activity, despite the provocation of former Ministers Karen Cummings and David Patterson,” the party added. The statement also suggested that the top brass of the police force has been directed to take actions against peaceful protestors and it said what makes such a situation worse is that the directions would be coming from an “illegal regime.”
“We remind the GPF and indeed every Public Servant, Public Officer and holder of Statutory and Constitutional offices that their allegiance is to the Constitution and by virtue of that very Constitution the legitimate tenure of the Government of Guyana has come to an end, therefore, those who are currently clinging to the reigns of governmental offices are doing so unconstitutionally, unlawfully and are simply imposters,” it said.
“To take directions of any kind from this grouping is simply being complicit in the unlawfulness and unconstitutionality being perpetrated. We advise that at the appropriate time that the law will not grant coverage to such actions,” it added.
Meanwhile, with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) signaling its readiness to hold elections by the end of February, the party once again called on Granger to set a date for the polls “earliest in accordance with the imperatives of Article 106 (6) and (7) of the Constitution and not at his own caprice.” “The PPP promises that unless this early date is fixed, countrywide protestations against him will continue,” it added.
The party further maintained its position against returning to the National Assembly, saying that to do so is unnecessary and will not only lend legitimacy to the government’s “unconstitutional occupation” in office, while also providing some degree of “legal cover to all the unlawful actions done, decisions made and moneys spent during this period of unconstitutionality.”