Former President Donald Ramotar has expressed “disappointment” at the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) silence on the government’s constitutional violations saying that it lends credence to criticisms of others who question the organisation’s relevance.
“I am very disappointed that CARICOM has stayed so quiet on a matter of such grave importance not only to Guyana but in the region,” Ramotar, who attended CARICOM Heads of government meetings while President, told Stabroek News yesterday.
“Here we have a situation where the law is violated, our Constitution is trampled upon and shown disregard for and there was, and continues to be deafening silence from CARICOM. Here we have a court decision from the highest court of the very CARICOM. That alone can give credence to the views of some [who] say that CARICOM doesn’t care about what happens to persons in this country and has outlived its relevance,” he added.
In late July, more than seven months after the successful passage of a December 21st no-confidence motion against the APNU+AFC government, which has been governing since 2015, CARICOM for the first time commented on the issue. On July 23rd, CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque said that the Secretariat continues to closely monitor the situation in Guyana but that it would only intervene if the democratic and judicial processes break down and if both parties – government and opposition – deem it necessary.
“We continue to monitor everything, very, very closely…” La Roque said then, when approached on the sidelines of the opening session of the Tenth General Meeting between CARICOM and Associated Institutions and the United Nations System at the secretariat’s Liliendaal Headquarters.
“CARICOM does not interfere unless the democratic and judicial process breaks down, we are very much engaged as far as I am concerned. We read all kinds of things in the media but that’s our position going forward. It does not mean that we don’t care or we are not engaged, we are fully engaged,” he added.
Following the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruling which reiterated that the December 21st, 2018 motion of no-confidence against the government was properly passed by the National Assembly and that the clear provisions of Article 106 of the Constitution which include the holding of elections, immediately became engaged, some sections of society had issued calls on CARICOM to speak out and take action.
The Secretary-General had expressed confidence in the process. “The CCJ in my view was very, very clear that all the actors concerned, all the actors concerned, the executive, the opposition and GECOM must play their parts,” he noted. He had pointed out too that he had met with both President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo before the ruling and he spoke to the president after the ruling and met again with Jagdeo.
“So I am in touch, I will continue to be in touch. My Chairman is also briefed regularly, that is the Prime Minister of St Lucia (Allen Chastanet). I know he has also reached out and we are going to continue monitoring this,” he had said.
But since then, the secretariat has not said anything on Guyana’s current political stalemate.
Granger has since named March 2nd, 2020, as the next elections date.
Ramotar contended that CARICOM, unlike in past elections, has not even signaled interest in observing the upcoming elections.
“When we compare how active they were in 1997, when they were quick to show interest and pressed and even did an audit of the ballots, it speaks for itself. They had, according to their own report, found nothing fraudulent but the time they took and the interest they showed,” he said.
“Now you have a situation where rule of law and constitutional governance has been trampled upon and yet they have refused to say a single word. It raises the question also of their relevance because trade is not improving [in] the region and even where we used to have joint positions on foreign policy, we don’t have that anymore as you see that we are going in different directions with different decisions now. Our decisions are not one united position and there now seems to be no care from the body about constitutional governance,” he added.
The former president said that when citizens of CARICOM countries see the actions of the secretariat, they are left with many questions. “What message does this send to the population of member countries,” he asked.
Ramotar said that he understood that some persons might take a jab at him for speaking out but he believes that it has to be done. “I understand and expect that some will look at my criticisms and judge me. But I ask them to not look at me, the person, but at the inactions of CARICOM and honestly ask if they are not to be blamed because of their inactions,” he said.
CARICOM was also silent on Ramotar’s prorogation of parliament in 2014 and when he was asked about this, he said that the two issues cannot be compared.
“I was acting within the Constitution and in the law, and it is different because I did not abuse my powers. When I realised that the opposition was not willing to talk, I called the election and did not wait for a second or third prorogation, although that option was open to me,” he said.
