Charrandas urges AFC to do the “honourable thing” and resign

No-confidence resolution

Former Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament (MP) Charrandas Persaud has joined many legal minds, political analysts and others in confirming that Government’s tight grip on power is a major violation of Guyana’s supreme law, the Constitution.
In an eight-minute video posted on social media on Sunday, the former MP said that he has taken some time to look at the actions of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and AFC since the December 21 no-confidence vote was passed in the National Assembly.
Weighing in on the current debate, Persaud said that while repeated reference is made to Article 106 (6) of the Constitution, the interpretation seems far from the truth, particularly as it relates to the comments and arguments being advanced by the Government.
“The gist of it is if the no-confidence motion is carried, the President and Cabinet must resign. And the question is when they should resign. What they are missing or not paying attention to, is Article 106 (7) [that] says that the same Government with the same President will continue to run the affairs of the country until an election is held and a new president is sworn in,” he explained.
Persaud stated that the reigning Government would not be giving up total power. Rather, they will be restricted to carry out all their normal functions, describing it as an interim Government.
In an attempt to simplify the matter by likening it to a court case, Persaud, who is also an attorney, said that the adjudicator in the National Assembly is none other than the Speaker. “He is like the Judge in a High Court. If a judge makes a ruling, it is binding.”
For example, he said if a man is charged with rape, the matter goes to court. If the Judge finds him guilty and he is hypothetically sentenced to 15 years, his jail sentence starts from the very day that the judge makes his ruling. Persaud explains that he may appeal the case, which is another option available, but says he is to be imprisoned since that moment he is sentenced.
“The appeal will be heard in a day or two down the road, but until the appeal is heard, ventilated, and a determination is made, whether the Court of Appeal finds this man innocent or continues to find him guilty, that man is still, as far as that High Court is concerned, is guilty of rape.”
The former MP, therefore, said the coalition was trying to do the same, referring to its efforts to have the matter go to court. However, he believes that in the meantime, the Constitution must be followed. “Article 106 (6) must be abided by. They must resign and they can continue running the affairs of the country, but they must resign. The legality or illegality of the vote of no-confidence motion will be determined in the court,” the Attorney further cemented.
Persaud noted by doing the opposite, the Government is breaching the Constitution and embarrassing Guyanese, describing the Administration as “power-hungry people”.
“They don’t wanna to give it ((power) up. But still they won’t be giving it up (if they resign), but their powers will be restricted….And why if they are so powerful, why they don’t go back to the people? An election will determine that,” he added.
The former AFC member also drew the attention of his followers to the fact that he has taken time to look at the legislation that governs the Parliament and has concluded that it is the Constitution. “And by breaching the Constitution, you are showing blatant disregard for the laws that control our lives in the country,” he noted in his social media post.
He said too that the lawyers representing the Government and those particularly from the AFC know this. “This Government headed by David Granger, a very honourable man, PM Nagamootoo a rubber stamp, must resign. The adjudicator is the Speaker and he has ruled that the vote is correct, and if you want to appeal it, fit it in line, then that goes to court as they are trying.”
Persaud said he would hope that his former AFC colleagues (all attorneys) Raphael Trotman, Khemraj Ramjattan, and Nagamootoo “would do the honourable thing” and resign. He premised his recommendation on the fact that the “AFC is a dead party”, which may secure fewer seats in the next general and regional elections, but stated that the proper thing to do now was to resign.
Addressing others matters, such as one article that sought to tarnish his reputation stating that he was a gambler at a casino, Persaud said that does not in any way or form interfere with his vote in Parliament which saw the collapse of the coalition Government.
While the Government has been putting forward legal arguments that the vote taken on the no-confidence motion is null and void given the fact that Persaud holds citizenship for Guyana and Canada, he said he was not bothered by these attacks, admitting that he indeed returned to Guyana and attended the University of Guyana, where he studied for his law degree.
“I attended UG, as a Guyanese student, studied law in Trinidad as a Guyanese student. I also practised law, paid NIS and re-established myself as a Guyanese. My position in Parliament was ratified, so too are the position of all the others with dual citizenship. What they are doing? They don’t want to give up. They are trying to get over the shock of Charrandas saying yes, I had to say yes. I wonder how they will feel now that they will be unemployed like the sugar workers.”