Enveloping Guyana in a serious, deliberate crisis

Dear Editor,
The illegal APNU/AFC coalition Government, along with their hybrid extensions in the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), have uncaringly enveloped Guyana in a serious and deliberate crisis. As they stubbornly attempt to cling on to power in breach of widely accepted constitutional norms, their actions and the implications now have far-reaching consequences for Guyana in the short, medium, and long terms.
In the first instance, the ungainly policies of the Government have significantly contributed to the no-confidence motion (NCM) which was tabled in Parliament and ruled upon 33 to 32 votes in favour of the Opposition by the National Assembly after a fierce debate. This, in tandem with the now shamelessly flagrant manoeuvres by their biased quartet in the GECOM seven-member Commission, has been used to orchestrate the expiry of the voters’ list on April 30, 2019.
As the cabal’s sneaky and abusive moves continue however, our troubled Guyanese nation can have a measure of solace in a correction that should rationally emerge from the upcoming ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) before advancing other options.
It is public knowledge that the hierarchy of the PNC/APNU is aware of its foundationless position, and many among them were not shy about revealing, at the General Council meeting, that the coalition is merely hanging on to power.
It is also crystal clear that the PNC/APNU’s twisted interest in GECOM conducting house-to-house registration is solely for the purpose of delaying elections and extending the time they have in power. In fact, such sinister manoeuvres target defeating the intent of the drafters of the Constitution following the carried NCM; that is, to halt the damages to the country and people caused by the incumbent loser of the motion. In this regard, the Guyana Constitution posits having National Elections at the earliest time, or with appropriate speed.
In effect, the approach ought to ensure that the voters’ list is updated by conducting a short period of continuous registration, in keeping with the approved legal mechanism. This is in regard to the fact that there was deliberate invalidation on April 30, 2019, mainly due to the bundle of excuses and legal challenges raised following the ruling by the Speaker.
The PNC/APNU have been caught with their pants down and in flagrant violation of commitments made to the people. It is also clear that GECOM’s failure to address the readiness for elections at this time is obviously due to the aligned Chairman’s allowance of intentional intrusion, and influences by the PNC party. Such abuse must be prevented in the future by treatment of opposite radical countenance.
As the highest and final Court of Jurisdiction, the CCJ, in its considerations with respect to the NCM passed by the Guyana National Assembly on December 21, 2018, is called upon to give clear guidance for the immediate holding of elections, given the continued damage being inflicted by APNU/AFC on the nation over their five months of defiance since the carried motion.
The PNC/APNU quartet at GECOM simply cannot hope to continuously violate the organisation’s constitutional mandate and sanctity of entrusted autonomy for the benefit of the PNC cabal, while holding the nation at ransom. It is also expected, therefore, that such wanton disregard for the immediacy of the constitutional directives of Article 106 be enforced as a consideration when the CCJ rejects the position taken by the Guyana Court of Appeal.

Sincerely,
Neil Kumar