Govt should demit office and set date for elections

Dear Editor,
The APNU/AFC coalition should demit office and the President should set a date for elections within the stipulated time frame before March 21. It is the honourable and right thing to do.
When the coalition APNU/AFC Government lost the no-confidence motion on December 21, there was a lot of sympathy for it. People everywhere praised the Government when their spokespersons (the Prime Minister, President and others) announced they would respect the outcome of the no-confidence vote and invoke the steps outlined in the Constitution that speaks to such a defeat – their words suggested that democracy came before politics. The Government had not lost much of its traditional support at that time, and there were even some (sitting on the fences) who may have been thinking of giving it another chance. At the time, with their words that democracy was at work, people saw the Government as respecting the Constitution and subscribing to democratic credentials.
But then there was a change of tone from the Government side; the political beast in it stepped in. The Government announced it would not accept the outcome of the no-confidence vote, presenting a set of ridiculous, bare-faced nonsensical, idiotic arguments (of a half man, no-confidence vote illegal, dual citizenship, etc) – all acts undertaken by the Government show it is clutching at straws to hold on to power at any cost. At a minimum, people see these arguments as trending towards dictatorial behaviour or anathema to democratic norms. More and more, this Government is losing sympathy over its hilarious claims. It is best if the Government spokespersons just shut up, resign, and hold elections. It still has a chance of doing very well.
The coalition is not going to win any of its arguments to stay in office. The Speaker of the House ruled against it. The Chief Justice landed another telling blow on Thursday – with three different rulings against the Government. The Chief Justice or any further court could not rule any other way – the Constitution is clear – when the Government loses a no-confidence vote, it must resign (President and Cabinet) and be a caretaker Government until elections which must be held within 90 days. The Court of Appeal and the CCJ will not render a much different verdict – as the Constitution is very straightforward on the absurd claims made by the Government.
Some forty-five days have passed since the no-confidence vote. The Government has less than forty-five days within which GECOM must hold elections. The Government should resign now and set a date for elections to show the world it subscribes to democratic parliamentary principles.

Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram