By not resigning, Gov’t has created doubts about whether it will honour constitutional requirements

Dear Editor,

Reference is made to your editorial `No-confidence vote’ (Dec 23) and news items (Dec 22 and 24) reporting on the remarks of President Granger and Prime Minister Nagamootoo to abide by the rules stipulated in the Burnham constitution when a government loses a motion of confidence. The PM, in a press conference right after the government lost the no confidence motion on the evening of December 21, stated that democracy was at work and that he and the government would respect and honour the outcome of the vote that defeated the government. He said the necessary constitutional requirement would be invoked meaning new elections to be held soon (90 days to be specific).

The President two days later reassured the nation that democracy was at play and reiterated the remarks uttered by the PM that the constitutional requirement would be triggered in which elections are to be held within 90 days. The government cannot backtrack on a democratic practice of the Westminster system.

Your editorial correctly and wisely called for strict constitutional adherence following the defeat of government in the no confidence motion. The government must be applauded for listening to your advice and for its commitment to adhere to the constitution that would help to erase doubt on any authoritarian plan in the making to hold on to office through creative means.

The remarks of the President and the PM show that the APNU+AFC government has responded maturely to the loss of the no confidence vote in the parliament (32-33) to the PPP. I salute the President and PM and their MPs. The remarks and commitment of the APNU+AFC leadership bode well for democracy and could very well help the AFC and APNU in the election campaign as people were having doubts on whether the two parties would abide by the constitution and hold timely elections even before it lost the no confidence motion. This would help the party to gain votes. As it were, the two parties commit to democratic practices.

The fraudulent Burnham constitution clearly states that if a government loses a no confidence motion, the government resigns and new elections are held within ninety days. This means elections are due before March 21 unless the opposition agrees to a delay giving the government a two thirds majority to postpone the elections at an agreed time. But this must be done democratically in a parliamentary vote. The government acts as a caretaker until the elections are called and a new government is formed unless the opposition and coalition agree to a temporary joint government until fresh elections are called.

The convention in the Westminster system, that Guyana subscribes to, is when a government loses a no confidence motion (more members vote for the no confidence motion than against it), the government resigns within 72 hours and the head of the government meets with the Opposition Leader to chart a course for the future. It is also a constitutional edict in Guyana. The President and PM and the entire cabinet should have resigned already. It is now five days and the government has not resigned creating doubts in peoples’ mind whether the government will honour constitutional requirements and parliamentary convention. The President said he would meet with the Opposition Leader soon. It should have been done already. Nothing stops the person performing the functions of the President (since Granger is abroad on medical treatment and not likely to be active for months) from meeting with the Opposition Leader to chart a course for the next three months or longer.

There are no ifs or buts about resigning after a successful no confidence vote. The government must comply with the convention or risk facing sanctions. If the government reneges on its commitment to hold elections within ninety days, repercussions could follow. My research on successful no confidence motions reveals that governments of countries in the Commonwealth that failed to abide by democratic norms were known to experience censure, expulsion, and a cut off of foreign aid as well as withholding of recognition of the regime. The government should immediately resign and set a date for elections. Since the electoral list was used just last month for a local elections, it would not take much time for Gecom to prepare for general elections. I call on the government to honour its publicly announced commitment to abide by the Burnham constitution.

Yours faithfully,

Vishnu Bisram (PhD) Political Scientist (Comparative and International Politics)