House to house can take polls to June at earliest – Jagdeo
-calls again for President, Cabinet to resign
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday stepped up calls for the cancellation of the House-to-House registration process saying that if it is continued it can go all the way into 2022.
“You are taking 2021 or 2022 if you go down this house-to-house route, because giving the best case scenario, based on their own documents, it puts it [General Elections] at June next year,” Jagdeo yesterday told a press conference.
On July 20th, more than a month after the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruled that the December 21st no-confidence motion against government was validly passed, Jagdeo wrote President David Granger, requesting that he and his Cabinet resign forthwith in accordance with the June 18th decision of the court and the July 12th consequential orders.
“The key aim now is to get the president to discharge his constitutional responsibilities… he has to issue a proclamation naming an election date, he has to dissolve parliament and in the meantime he should have resigned,” Jagdeo stressed.
In the letter, released to the press, Jagdeo also urged the president to issue a proclamation dissolving the 11th Parliament and fixing a date for regional and general elections not beyond September 18th, 2019.
Since the June 18th ruling, there continue to be calls for the Cabinet, including the president, to resign in keeping with the provisions of Article 106(6) and name a date for elections in keeping with Article 106 (7). While saying that it respects the decision of the CCJ, government has maintained that Cabinet is still functioning, without explaining the inconsistency of its position with Article 106(6).
Last Thursday, Granger sought to reassure members of the diplomatic community and civil society that his government was not seeking to delay elections. The president met in the morning with the diplomatic community and in the afternoon with civil society and told both groups that the Government of Guyana is committed to upholding the Constitution; respecting the institutions of the State – including the National Assembly and the Courts; ensuring the rule of law; safeguarding human and civil rights; and preserving democracy especially through the conduct of free, fair and credible Local as well as General and Regional Elections.
The President yesterday met with the envoys of the US, UK, Canada and the EU at the Ministry of the Presidency. No information was released on the contents of the discussion or who requested the meeting except to say that Granger had been praised for the selection of a Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission. Observers say the meeting was a further sign of the pressure that is building on the government and Granger to fully comply with the rulings of the court and applicable articles of the constitution.
Granger has also been in contact with Commonwealth Secretary General, Baroness Patricia Scotland on the matter.
President Granger has repeatedly stated that he accepts his government’s interim status, while maintaining that only the Guyana Elections Commission can set the date of elections.
Jagdeo said that Granger formally responded on the request to resign and said that Attorney General Basil Williams was examining the request. Jagdeo said that he believes that the President should seek independent advice as he had no confidence that Williams would state what is constitutionally required.
“The president responded to me and said he noted my request…and he said that I would like to assure you that your requests are being examined by the Attorney General…I would urge the President to probably get proper legal advice, maybe get some independent lawyers,” he said.
He noted that he was still hopeful of again meeting one on one with Granger to explain his request.