Jagdeo disappointed in Caricom’s silence following CCJ ruling

International organisations and other stakeholders have joined the mounting calls for democracy to prevail in Guyana and election preparations to take precedence, but the Caribbean Community (Caricom) has remained strikingly mum on the issue.
This was according to Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, who expressed disappointment that the body was yet to comment on events which unfolded, given the fact that it was a regional organ.
Jagdeo has met with Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque, emphasising the need to affirm their position. However, the body is yet to take a stance even though Guyana is a founding member of the Community.
“I met with the Secretary General of Caricom. I spoke with him about the need that this is a regional institution and, therefore, Caricom needs to take an even stronger role. I’m surprised [that] I have not seen even a statement coming from Caricom as yet, because this is a regional institution that we worked to establish and if the Region cannot respect a decision of a superior court that it created as an organ of regional integration, then the Region would be found lacking,” said Jagdeo.
During the consequential orders last week, the Government was reduced to that of a caretaker administration and urged to call elections in keeping with the constitutional deadline. With more than one month passing since the June 18 ruling was handed down, a date for elections has not been announced.
It is customary for the regional organisation to intervene to some extent in constitutional and democratic crises in Caribbean nations. As such, the former Head of State contended that Guyana was being governed by an illegal government which has not complied with the court’s ruling which has been ignored completely.
“We cannot be busy sending missions when they have an interruption of constitutional rule or Venezuela when they have a breakdown of democratic order and here in Guyana, which is the headquarter State of Caricom, ignore that you have a Government now in office that is illegally there because elections ought to have been held since March 21. And where the court has now ruled that they must comply with the Constitution and they’re a caretaker government, ignore the fact that this Government is not complying with the order of the court and just sit by and not say anything about it. I am, frankly speaking, very, very disappointed in Caricom.”
Only a few days ago, former Government Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy also called out Caricom in a published column for being completely silent ever since the passage of the No-Confidence Motion on December 21, 2018.
Dr Ramsammy stated that the Caribbean body would intervene whenever democracy was threatened and its silence in this case brought disrepute to the organisation and would also impact its position on future matters.
According to him, disrespect of the chief laws by the coalition Administration points to a threat to democracy, which must be addressed at all costs.
So far, the diplomatic community has renewed its position on respecting the Constitution and the CCJ’s ruling. Representatives of the United States, United Kingdom, and the European Union observed the July 12 pronouncements and later acknowledged that this adherence must be done expeditiously.
For this, the Opposition Leader has pledged to continue engagements with the international community, but so far, these stakeholders have wholly agreed that Government must abide completely with the rulings that were pronounced.
The diplomatic community was also urged to regulate its relationship and activities with the Administration to reflect that of a caretaker government.
“I have spent some time this week briefing the diplomats and so we will continue to brief the international community. The feedback that the entire international community is [providing is] that the Government must comply with the Constitution and the court order; and that they respect the orders of the Court … I made it clear that we expect them to adjust their relationship with the Government in accordance with the decision of the Court, which is that this is a caretaker government and that elections have to be held within three months,” he asserted.
Other independent unions and Private Sector representatives have voiced similar sentiments, and some also shared important concerns.