Dear Editor,
I was waiting a few days before getting involved in the prorogation discussion. I don’t have a horse in the race or a dog in the fight. I am not a member of any of the political parties, which gives me the opportunity to swing at both sides of the House when I care to. But I live here and as they say, who feels it knows it. Whatever trauma the Guyanese people are feeling, so am I.
Is it not like the PPP to introduce a new word to the Guyanese lexicon: ‘Prorogation.’ In local parlance it means that the government has sent the people’s representatives on sabbatical and closed the people’s House. This move by the President was designed to kill two birds with one signing. First, he successfully emasculated the Parliament by the prorogation, which pre-empted the no-confidence motion that was being brought against the government by the combined opposition from being debated. Secondly, the President was able to buy Mr Nandlall some respite out of the glare of headlights – for now at least. This prorogation is one of the options that the government could use, according to the constitution. It’s lawful but spineless. It does not matter how the President and his henchmen frame it, it’s all about usurping power through the back door. Their words might have been a little wishy-washy, but their actions show it all to the majority opposition.
Prorogation is nothing new; it has been around for quite a while (no, Burnham did not create the provision) in the eighteenth century King George III prorogued parliament and Queen Elizabeth also did so in the sixteenth century. John Chretien the liberal Prime Minister of Canada prorogued parliament four times between 1993-2003, and so did Stephen Harper, another Prime Minister of Canada.
However, even though proroguing the legislature is a boon to governments facing problems, there are rules that must be observed during this period. When Parliament is prorogued all pending government legislature lapses. Any un-passed bills or motions will be non-existent. All legislation that did not get the President’s signature is dead. But are we to understand that the executive will be taking over the portfolio of the legislative branch? If so, the rules notwithstanding, it could be business as usual, with the government operating without the oversight of the opposition. If that be the case what could prevent the President extending prorogation?
Let it be clear, there is nothing that the politicians in the combined opposition can do to turn this around. They can have all the meetings they want with whomever they want, it will change nothing. Besides being informed, the international community can do nothing likewise towards making the government reconvene parliament.
A lot of people including politicians like to talk about democracy. But they never explain what democracy is. Now we will get the opportunity to see how democracy (the people’s tool, and rights) works in the Republic of Guyana. We the people are the only ones who can make the President re-convene parliament. The government will only listen to active people power, the power of people who are prepared to stand up in defence of all the elements of democracy that are taken away by a dictatorship.
Democracy is not something that is given to the people; no, they have to fight for it. Democracy allows you the privilege to be on the front line every day venting your feelings in defence of all those elements. Democracy comes out of the ‘sticktoitiveness’ (to see it to the bitter end) of the people. And last of all democracy is compromise in disguise. For in the final analysis democracy whether with a capital D or common d is only won by people power.
Dissent is the truest form of patriotism.
Yours faithfully,
Milton Bruce
