The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland today urged President David Granger and “all relevant stakeholders and institutions” to restore constitutional rule in Guyana by immediately setting an early election date in consonance with its constitution, enabling elections to be held without further delay.
It was the latest round of pressure on Granger who has already been taken to task on this matter by the US, the UK and the European Union and the Bar Council of the Guyana Bar Association.
In a statement, the Commonwealth said that the Secretary-General has taken note of the 18 June 2019 ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and its consequential orders of 12 July 2019.
“The CCJ’s ruling was clear that the Guyana Constitution sets out certain requirements for the time of an election after the valid passing of a no confidence motion.
“The rule of law and constitutional governance are fundamental Commonwealth values to which Guyana has subscribed.
“In this regard, and in accordance with the ruling of the CCJ, a general election in Guyana is now constitutionally overdue. A general election should be held in accordance with the unambiguous constitutional imperative to do so. The Secretary-General has spoken with the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and discussed Commonwealth support to GECOM”, the statement added.
