Elections in new year -Ramotar

Amid the political deadlock over the suspension of Parliament, President Donald Ramotar moments ago announced that elections will be held in the new year.
“I have considered and I have consulted and this is my resolve: We will go to elections,” the President told reporters at State House. He said that Leader of the Opposition David Granger’s formal rejection of dialogue informed his decision.
“I had to concede that my objectives for prorogation were unlikely to be achieved. It logically followed that other options to prorogation had to be considered,” Ramotar said.
He said that the options were to return to the 10th Parliament or to general elections. “The return to Parliament was not an option I exercised on November 10th. My judgment was it meant business as usual including the debate on the opposition’s no-confidence motion in my administration. I am of the opinion that since then very little has changed and the opposition leader David Granger’s rejection of my invitation to dialogue has cemented my reasoning,” he said
“Should the parliamentary political parties return to the 10th Parliament to business as usual? Where there is no productivity and especially during this Christmas season? Consideration of that option has occupied me since I received the disappointing news of Mr. Granger’s rejection of dialogue,” Ramotar said.
“I have considered and I have consulted and this is my resolve: We will go to elections,” he declared.
The President said that he has also written to the international community alerting them on the possibility of early elections and the desire for them to field observer missions. “However, we will not disrupt and damper the Christmas spirit with the evident purposeless parliamentary debate. Early in the New Year I intend to announce further steps towards the direction of general and regional elections in Guyana. In the meantime, I will be consulting GECOM on its readiness and Guyanese can get on with the business of having an enjoyable Christmas,” he said.