Dear Editor,
I crave your indulgence in allowing me to respond to two sets of the commentaries in the media over the last few days. Several writers across the media spectrum have called for a compromise between the APNU+AFC and the PPP/C leadership in an effort to thwart the impending constitutional crisis, while others have launched an attack on the constitution. Some have posited that constitutional crisis is not new to Guyana while a few have revisited the power sharing idea. In this letter, I will only comment on the compromise issue, and attack on the constitution.
The first group advocated for an agreement in which both parties make concessions. However, given the behaviour of the current administration over the last 70+ days, can we trust them to compromise? For example, the last such meeting turned out to be a ploy which facilitated the publication of outcomes not reached during the meeting, not to mention the ‘wild goose chase’ meeting with GECOM which had nothing new to say to the PPP/C. Furthermore, it appears that GECOM has initiated actions towards conducting house-to-house registration. This clearly signals that Elections would not be coming anytime soon as this exercise will take several months. So far we have seen no good faith approach on the part of Mr Granger. Therefore, like me, many cannot foresee any compromise ensuing, even if the parties were to meet
Another commentator has, like an earlier attack by the Attorney General and others, condemned the constitution and posited that it is stacked against African Guyanese. Suddenly, the constitution and legal system that worked well, have, since December 21 become the targets of abuse by a failed administration. It seems that the no-confidence motion is now driving a new breed of revolutionary thinkers attempting to redefine ‘majority’, change mathematical computation for majority in the National Assembly and condemning constitutional provisions, and they may even be toying with the idea of abandoning the constitution all together.
In a nutshell, many who called for compromise addressed the issue in a skewed fashion; they wrongly suggested that the Opposition Leader is stymieing progress. In the same vein, those who attacked the constitution as inadequate have suddenly taken on the mantle of the wolf and the sour grapes. Since it served to oust the APNU+AFC Administration, it is no longer good.
Yours faithfully,
Ronald Singh
