A Commonwealth Secretariat team that was scheduled to visit Guyana this week has postponed its visit pending a decision by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on the validity of last December’s no-confidence vote against government.
Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira told Stabroek News that the Common-wealth Secretariat indicated that “the visit was postponed due to recent developments.”
Teixeira indicated that the visit, which was scheduled for the period March 27 to March 30th, was initiated in response to a letter written to the Secretariat by the parliamentary opposition.
Earlier this month, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo told reporters that he had written to the Commonwealth, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organization of American States (OAS) about the impending constitutional crisis and the illegality of the government in wake of the passage of an opposition-sponsored no-confidence motion, which would have necessitated elections within three months unless an extension was agreed to by a two-thirds majority of elected members of the National Assembly.
However, with the Court of Appeal ruling that the vote on the motion was invalid, the Secretariat no longer feels that there is an urgent need to visit and instead will await the judicial review of Guyana’s final appellate court.
“They have communicated that they will not be coming until the CCJ makes a decision,” this newspaper was told by a source familiar with the planned mission.
The delegation, which comprised Adviser and Head of the Electoral Support Section Martin Kasirye and Head of Good Offices for Peace and Adviser for the Caribbean region Dr. Tres-Ann Kremer, was expected to meet with the Guyana Election Commission (GECOM) on Thursday.
