Dear Editor,
Governor General Sir David Rose and later President Arthur Chung were the guardians of the Westminster-model Constitution. Who is the guardian of today’s hybrid Guyana Constitution? The answer is no one.
In the old Westminster model, the Governor General – the moment the no-confidence motion passed – would have directed the Elections Commission to prepare for elections; and the date would have been set by the Governor General in consultation with the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader; and, that date would have been within the three months as stipulated by the Constitution.
Today, we have a hodge-podge of a Constitution (some call it a hybrid of two or three different types) – a real mess – nobody understands it anymore. Even Mr Granger doesn’t understand it – or he chooses to engage in subterfuges to undermine the Constitution for political advantages. He practically said that only GECOM can set the date for elections. His code-words were “GECOM’s readiness.” Suppose GECOM says it wouldn’t be ready for another two years, then what?
Guyana has long abandoned constitutional rule.
Priya Manickchand, in her letter (SN: 20/08/2019), hopes and prays that the new “esteemed” chairperson of GECOM, Justice Claudette Singh, would set a date for elections that would satisfy the dictates of the Constitution.
Well, this distinguished lady was sworn in three weeks ago. Hope is fading fast. Although she holds the title of Chairperson, the reality is that she holds executive authority (the votes of three PPP vs. three PNC members cancel out each other). She alone and singularly must make all the decisions. Will she be intimidated by her power? Is she truly independent – or subject to other bosses above her?
Three weeks on the job and still no date for the elections? Prospects of elections this year are not good.
In moments like these – Oh! How I long for that great old document. I mean the pure Westminster-model Constitution. And, something else: Guyana with such a small population (a bare 740,000 citizens) with all our ethnic parties and embedded ethnic politics should never have been a Republic in the first place. Guyana needs a guardian to help mediate our political problems, and much more.
Yours faithfully,
Mike Persaud
