The main opposition APNU yesterday called on President Donald Ramotar to demonstrate leadership and uphold the people’s right to local government elections, even as leader David Granger signaled that it would not change its position on supporting a no-confidence vote against the government if the polls are called.
At a news conference yesterday, Granger said APNU was deeply disturbed by President Ramotar’s dilatoriness in issuing instructions to allow the Guyanese people to exercise their right to elect their representatives in local government elections at the earliest possible date.
“President Ramotar told his supporters at a town hall meeting in New York organised by the People’s Progressive Party’s Association of Concerned Guyanese, “Well, my mother used to say you can’t have it in cake and have it in bake; you can’t have it both ways, you have to make up your mind what you want,”” he quoted the president as saying.
Granger, however, said that the President is the one who needs to make up his mind and do his duty as a national leader. “He is suggesting, falsely, that there is a ‘choice’ between local government elections and general and regional elections, that is, between ‘cake’ and ‘bake.’ He is suggesting also that, the motion proposed by the Alliance For Change to express ‘no-confidence’ in the government which could lead to general and regional elections could pose a constitutional dilemma,” he said.
In so doing, Granger argued, the president is pretending that there is a contradiction or a choice. “There is none. He has failed the nation by not exercising his executive, constitutional duty to make a timely decision for the conduct of local government elections. The nation is entitled to both local government and general and regional elections. President Ramotar alone is the author of the ‘cake-or-bake’ confusion that he is complaining about,” he added.
Granger said APNU was warning the President that he is sleepwalking into a constitutional crisis which could have catastrophic consequences for our country. “The President’s inconsistent statements, unconstitutional conduct and dilatory tactics are creating confusion and consternation,” he said. “The President must demonstrate leadership. He must address the nation quickly and truthfully to assure the people that he will uphold their constitutional right to local government elections. The people do have the right to both cake and bake,” he further said.
When he was questioned on whether APNU would change its position on the no-confidence motion if the President assents to the local government elections, Granger asserted that “there was no likelihood” that it would change its position. “…if such an eventuality occurs we will make a decision but as far as we are concerned there is no likelihood that we would change from the position that we have taken. The ball is in the president’s court,” he said.
“The president has his chance and he still has an opportunity to give the people local government election. The motion is the AFC motion but as far we are concerned APNU is committed to support the AFC motion…if the president wants to announce tomorrow that elections will be held in a reasonable timeframe that will satisfy one of the conditions APNU has called for and the AFC,” he explained.
Granger recently announced public protests to press the government to initiate the polls after the President failed to identify a date as requested by him. He had written Ramotar to name a date and said that otherwise national and international support would be galvanised in defence of local democracy. APNU has since held several protests around the country.
