Braving heavy rains, hundreds of supporters of the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) yesterday protested in front of the Ministry of the Presidency on Vlissingen Road, Georgetown to call on President David Granger to announce a date for elections.
Supporters congregated between Regent Street and South Road and stood in the rain with placards, some of which read, ‘APNU+AFC illegal and shameless’, ‘Call elections now!’, ‘Yes! Yes! Yes! Elections now’, ‘Gecom is not above the law’, and ‘No parliamentary extension without early election date’.
As the protest continued, supporters chanted, “We need elections now! Granger must go!” Using a bullhorn, some protestors were heard shouting out the names of government ministers to which the crowd responded, “Must Go!”
The picketing exercise saw the party leadership, including General Secretary and Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo and PPP/C Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali, along with others marching through the crowd and calling for an elections date.
Speaking to reporters, Ali said the party has been patient to allow the court hearings on constitutional matters and now that the matters have concluded, it is time for elections.
“The PPP has been patient, the PPP has been responsible, the PPP has been disciplined and the PPP has operated in a nationalist way. We said that we will allow the court filings on all the issues and allow all the filings we did that the CCJ (Caribbean Court of Justice) ruled. The president needs to set a date within the provisions of the Constitution,” Ali argued.
He argued that the constitution guides what needs to be done on the passage of a no-confidence motion and said the constitution must be respected.
“The provisions are there in the constitution. It says that elections must be held within three months, there is no debate… You respect the constitution, the rule of law and democracy…that is why we are all standing up for this, we respect rule of law and [democratic] rights of people…,” he added.
The presidential hopeful added further that the David Granger administration cannot be allowed to continue running the affairs of the country. He said that the government should answer questions on why Cabinet meetings are still being held.
“This cannot be… The Constitution is what guides us as a nation. Cabinet cannot continue to operate as if nothing happens. They are operating illegally,” he said.
Also on the picket line was former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds. Hinds, in a brief interview, reminded that the government had conceded to the December 21st no-confidence motion hours after it had passed.
“The press conference [on that night] that was hurriedly call by the Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and the next day, the president made [a] statement that led us to believe that they were doing the honourable and proper thing and the only correct thing…but it wasn’t so,” he said.
He added that in his view, given that the CCJ has upheld the passage of the no-confidence motion, elections should be held within 90 days and President Granger should announce a date.
Hinds also said that Cabinet should resign as per the Constitution and operate as a “caretaker government.”
The PPP’s picketing action came a day after Jagdeo met with Granger to discuss the way forward in nominating a Chairman for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
A protestor, Anjanie Seebarran, told reporters that she was supporting her party’s call for elections in 90 days. She said that she is confident that elections can be held within that timeframe.
“This procedure is not normal. We must agree that the NCM (no-confidence motion) was validly passed so they had enough time to be prepared,” she argued.
She said further that she believes that a GECOM chairman can be appointed within three days after the list of names are submitted.
Another protestor, Patricia Hinds-Bristol, boldly said that the president, a former army officer, should know the value of respect and follow the Constitution.
“Our president should know respect is what counts. He is a disciplined man, he should keep the Constitution and keep it right. He wrong. He was supposed to stand up for what is right… nobody should be influencing him…he was a Brigadier. He is being stubborn and not upholding the Constitution,” said the woman.
She added that as resident of Linden, she has been suffering under the current government. According to Hinds-Bristol, she has not received any contracts. This, she believes, is because of her support of the opposition.
“I used to be a contractor but four years now, nothing. Once you speak the truth, you are victimised and cursed down…I have family and children going to school…I am facing hardships. I don’t bite my bread alone, I does get crumbs for everybody…,” Hinds-Bristol lamented.
At the end of the protest, supporters marched back to the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, where they assembled and were addressed by Jagdeo and Ali.
