Former leading executive of the PPP, Ralph Ramkarran has called for a change in the system of governance noting that the executive presidency is not answerable at all for executive decisions.
In a column which appeared on his blog www.conversationtree.gy and in yesterday’s Sunday Stabroek, Ramkarran, a senior counsel, noted the ongoing debate about a suitable form of governance for the country and said that the broken system must be repaired.
Ramkarran, who chaired the Constitution Reform Commission in 1999-2000, noted that in the discussions on a reformed charter both the PPP/C and the PNC were determined to retain the executive presidency.
He said that a return to the full Westminster system where the head of government is accountable to Parliament or an amendment to entrench a coalition, no matter the results of the elections, were discussed in great detail but did not garner sufficient support.
“I have struggled mightily and for a long time, and so have many others, with ideas for an appropriate structure for our government, having regard to the specific challenges faced by Guyana. I had supported the current system because it allowed the largest party to retain the presidency. I felt that if a situation like the current one arose a coalition government would be the natural outcome. Clearly I was wrong”, Ramkarran stated.
Noting that there was nothing undemocratic about a minority government and that no one claims that the PPP/C government is undemocratic, Ramkarran argued that minority governments do not last and are not expected to. He said the present minority government appears to expect opposition support for its policies and in Parliament provided it offers cooperation. On the other hand he pointed out that the opposition has other ideas and this leads to heightened tension and gridlock which he predicted “will continue for the life of the government”.
Ramkarran, who quit the PPP last year after nearly 50 years of membership following a fall-out over his strong views about the extent of corruption in the country, said that the immediate solution can only be early elections and a coalition government if the same or similar results are obtained as is the case in almost every other country.
“In the meantime our broken system of government must be repaired. Guyana has an executive presidency, answerable to neither parliament nor cabinet for executive decisions, is not bound by cabinet decisions, cannot be charged or sued, virtually cannot be impeached, controls the date for elections, can be elected by a minority and dominates the Parliament through the executive if his/her party or list has a majority. Where the president’s party does not have a majority and refuses to bring other forces in the government, chaos and gridlock prevail as at the present time”, he stated.
Ramkarran, a former two-term Speaker of the National Assembly, recommended that what was needed was a prime minister as head of government from the political party with the most votes “answerable to and bound by both parliament and the cabinet, who is bound by the law as every citizen, who must have not only the support of the majority of the parliament but whose government must comprise on an equitable basis at least two political parties, the other political party having obtained the second largest number of votes.”
Where that model is unattainable in a specific time-frame following elections because of disagreement, the government should comprise one or more parties which can command majority support in Parliament. The system should be accompanied by substantial devolution of power to regional and local government authorities and be accompanied by a bolstered judiciary and independently appointed and functioning constitutional bodies, he stated.
