With some uncertainty surrounding the language in his resignation letter, former Leader of the Opposition Joseph Harmon yesterday clarified that he has indeed resigned as a member of the National Assembly effective March 15, 2022.
On Saturday, Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs told Stabroek News that he received a letter stating Harmon’s intention to resign and did not consider it a formal resignation from the legislature.
“The letter was sent to the Speaker [Manzoor Nadir] on Thursday and he forwarded me a copy. It informed of Mr Harmon’s intention to resign by March 14 [2022]. I would not consider that a resignation because a letter of resignation would sound like ‘I hereby submit my resignation effective so and so’ or ‘I hereby resign’ etc,” the Clerk had said.
Additionally, on Tuesday, Chairman of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Shurwayne Holder said that he had not officially resigned as a Member of Parliament rather he only signalled his intention to do so.
“I have seen a copy of the letter from the National Assembly (that Harmon sent to the Speaker). I do not think it’s legally it’s a… resignation. There’s an intent for Mr Harmon to resign and so I wouldn’t take it that he has resigned,” Holder said.
Yesterday, Harmon shared a copy of his February 28, 2022 resignation letter sent to Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir.
The letter stated “I hereby give notice of my intention to resign as a member of Parliament of the 12th Parliament of Guyana with effect from 15th March. 2022. I have given this decision my deepest thoughts and am of the view that it is in the best interest of the APNU/AFC Coalition and the people of Guyana that I resign this seat.”
He added, “I wish to thank the people of Guyana for the confidence reposed in me, you, the clerk and staff of the National Assembly for the support I was given during my tenure as a Member of Parliament.”
In a brief statement to Stabroek News, Harmon said that his letter communicated clearly that he will no longer serve as an MP from Tuesday, March 15, 2022.
“The letter gives a date of 15 March. That is final. It is not my intention to send another letter. When that date arrives I am finished,” he stated.
When asked if his exit from Parliament also signals his intention to leave the PNCR altogether, Harmon responded in the negative.
Harmon, who was Leader of the Opposition at the time, suffered a humiliating defeat at the PNCR leadership elections in December last year. He received 245 votes while Aubrey Norton received 967 and subsequently took over from former President David Granger as the Leader of the PNCR.
Since the elections, there have been mounting calls for Harmon to resign and pave the way for Norton to become an MP. Harmon, who was handpicked by Granger to become Opposition Leader, resigned from the post on January 26.
Norton’s ascension to Parlia-ment could depend on Granger who is the Representative of the APNU+AFC’s List of Candi-dates though political observers say his role is mainly ceremonial and it is the leadership of APNU+AFC who should make that decision.
The party has disclosed that Granger has been written to informing him that Norton should be named as the replacement in the legislature for former Minister of Education Nicolette Henry. She has resigned as an MP with effect from March 31, 2022.
When a Member of Parliament resigns there then exists a vacancy in the House that the party in question would have to fill. It is the duty of the Clerk of the National Assembly to inform the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the Chief Elec-tion Officer (CEO) of the name of the member who resigned and which party they represented.
It is on that basis the CEO would then write to the Repre-sentative of the List of that party — Granger in this instance — requesting that they extract a name from the list they would have submitted before the elections. The name of that person is then extracted and the Represen-tative of the List then writes to GECOM informing them of the proposed replacement so that a certificate of election could be issued.
Not at this time
Stabroek News understands that Norton has reached out to former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge offering him the other seat as MP. However, Greenidge, who is currently serving as advisor on borders to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the agent on Guy-ana’s border case with Venezuela before the International Court of Justice, declined the offer.
“I do not have anything to contribute to the discussion at this time,” Greenidge said when contacted by Stabroek News yesterday.
The names of former Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force Gary Best and Mervyn Williams are being floated as possible replacements. However, the PNCR central executive committee is yet to meet and decide on a name to fill the vacant seat.
