…“business as usual”?
Guyana doesn’t get hurricanes like the rest of the Caribbean where the devastation to the physical landscape and infrastructure takes years to return to “normal”. But the impact from the NCM of Dec 21, had been nothing short of a massive PSYCHOLOGICAL hurricane that hit the nation and left it reeling. AS with the physical hurricanes, there’d been an early warning – from the Opposition Leader that he’d be tabling the NCM.
The Govt, of course, didn’t give it no mind. Maybe because we’d never experienced NCM hurricanes?? After all, NCMs are a regular feature in Britain, India and Sri Lanka, etc. Governments there have been tossed out and elections called in a hurry, but it’s no big thing since it’s such a regular feature. They roll with the punch!!
After Amna Ally taunted the PPP, “Bring it on, baby!!”, and then heard Charrandas say “Yes! Yes! Yes!”, the anguished cries of “No, Charrandas, no!!!” from her benches were the first manifestation of the hurricane’s landfall. After the PNC types tried to roll with the force. They regrouped and returned to the House – fully expecting their Speaker to reverse his pronouncement that the motion had been validly passed. Another gale force wind threw them for a loop when he refused!!
And then came the full force of the hurricane when the High Court not just threw out their plea that the NCM was invalid; it informed them their dual citizens had to be tossed out on their ears!! The next few months were chaotic for the PNC as they ran around like a chicken without a head as they were buffeted by the full force of the Chief Justice’s masterful decision. They resorted to accelerating “plan B” – delaying elections to rig later, by controlling GECOM. Their resort to the Appellate Court was more like a Hail Mary, than anything else.
But lo and behold, they were offered a reprieve when 2 out of 3 Judges ruled in their favour by performing some legal gymnastics!! And the PNC and its partisans let out a collective sigh of relief as they thought the hurricane had passed. Carl Greenidge and Amna Ally even announced it’ll be “business as usual”!! Really? It just shows how removed from reality these political types are!!
What they should know is that they’re just experiencing the lull in the devastation as the “eye” of the NCM hurricane passes over the society. The PPP’s appeal to the CCJ will have to be heard sooner than later. And that is when the rear of the hurricane will hit them in the rear!!
So, when will our society return to “normal”?? Que sera, sera!!
…changed?
There are so many questions your Eyewitness hoped the courts would’ve answered by now. One of them was how come all the parties in the National Assembly – including the Clerk and Speaker – had agreed on the meaning of the word “majority” when they voted on the NCM, and yet it’s now being redefined not just prospectively, but retrospectively to the fateful vote!! Even if we accept the ruling of the Appellate Court that the MPs were misinformed as to the meaning of “majority” in Art 106 (6) surely they didn’t know that then.
After all, the “dual citizen” question was held in abeyance for Charrandas and his vote counted as valid because, the Justices ruled in the High and Appellate Courts – he didn’t know he was violating any rule. So isn’t sauce for the goose also sauce for the gander??
When the Speaker refused to recant his decision that 33 was a valid majority for Art 106 (6), didn’t he specifically suggest resort to the Courts for the FUTURE??
…fighting over dead meat
Seems the AFC just can’t pull off their Berbice Regional Management Committee election for their executive. Unlike Linden, where the election went through like a dose of salts.
Is it because of the struggle between the two tokens for the PM candidacy?
