Alliance for Change (AFC) activists yesterday led a demonstration outside of the United States Embassy to demand that the visas of all government ministers be revoked until elections are held.
Despite a downpour, a small group of AFC supporters turned up outside the Embassy, at Kingston yesterday morning with placards, some of which read, “Guyanese democracy strip naked,” “US Embassy must revoke visa of corrupt Guyanese ministers,” and “No Visa for dictators.”
The demonstration came a day after Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy Bryan Hunt told Stabroek News that focus needs to be placed on holding general elections to ensure a return of parliamentary democracy. His comments came just days after British High Commissioner Andrew Ayre said the country is on a “dangerous path” and could be referred to the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) over the suspension of parliament.
AFC member Michael Carrington, who was part of the demonstration, said they had no other choice but to start the “ball rolling” by asking the embassies to stop the issuing of visas and to start cancelling visas for members of the government. “I think they [government] have to go so we need, basically, to stop the visas and to have elections called as soon as possible because we need a new government in place,” he said.
Carrington said the government is disrespecting Guyana by claiming it had returned democracy while it has presently taken it away with the prorogation of parliament.
President Donald Ramotar suspended parliament in November last year in order to avoid a no confidence vote against his government and to engage the opposition in dialogue. However, talks did not get off the ground and the president has since said polls would be held early this year but he has so far withheld a date.
Columnist Freddie Kissoon, who said he was asked to participate in the demonstration, said the main reason for the action was to apply some form of pressure on the American, British and Canadian missions in Guyana so that they transfer that pressure on to the government so that members cannot leave the country until general elections are held.
“…Now, this is a justified call because these embassies are on record, even as [recent as] three days ago, saying that the prorogation of parliament is an assault on democracy and we think the [US] embassy should revisit the policy that one of its Ambassadors, Mr. [Ronald] Bullen, had implemented, and it acted as a deterrent. Under Mr. Bullen’s tenure, the embassy had put visa restrictions on government ministers, government officials and friends of government that were involved in unacceptable conduct…,” he Kissoon said.
Due to the behaviour of several government ministers and the prorogation of parliament, Kissoon said he sees Guyana near to the “precipice.”
“With the prorogation of parliament, Mr. [Anil] Nandlall’s indecency and the behaviour of the Education Minister, we are asking the embassies to implement visa sanctions again… there is an absence of democracy… and this is the beginning of stepping up this kind of pressure,” Kissoon said, while noting that they would be asking for similar actions from the Canadians and the British as well as Caricom.
