President Granger eager to meet with Opposition Leader

No-confidence vote

…agrees to setting early elections

Following the historic no-confidence vote against his Government on Friday, President David Granger has said he is eager to meet with Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.
The President on Saturday in a statement issued by the Ministry of the Presidency said he is anxious to engage Jagdeo on any concerns he may have. He also provided assurances that there will be no confrontations.
“Mr Jagdeo contacted the Minister of State (Joseph Harmon) and a meeting will be arranged as early as possible so that his concerns can be addressed,” Granger explained in the statement.

The President’s expression of eagerness to meet with the Opposition Leader came hours after Jagdeo on Friday evening said the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is ready and willing to work with the coalition Government to determine the way forward.
He was at the time delivering his final address to the National Assembly before adjournment ahead of the holidays.
The Opposition Leader, who is also the General Secretary of the PPP, noted that while the preceding events were unprecedented, it is pushing democracy forward.
“We on both sides of the House, we have to now sit and talk about how we move forward over the course of the next few months and over the course of the future. I’m doing that on this side… and I’m very conscious of what I mean and what implications it would have for the future of Guyana,” he posited.
The Opposition Leader acknowledged that both sides have constituencies and as such, “we have to find a way now to ensure that we maximise all of the national skills and look past the politics of it so that we can, in the upcoming era, which can be transformative, we can present a united face to the rest of the world. And this, although it may seem an unprecedented and maybe disappointing for the members of the Government side, it’s also an opportunity – and I would hope we all see it as an opportunity – for engagement very, very early on both sides and decide on how we [move forward].”

Early elections
Meanwhile, in the statement on Saturday, Granger also committed that the coalition Government will abide with what the Constitution says, which would include facilitating early elections.
Granger also disclosed that he met with some of his Ministers on Saturday who will engage the Alliance For Change (AFC) Ministers. This is significant, as Charandass Persaud, the Member of Parliament who voted against the Government, hails from the AFC.
“We will do everything necessary to facilitate the smooth functioning of General and Regional Elections, bearing in mind the need for normal governmental functions to continue uninterrupted,” Granger was quoted saying.
“This is a constitutional process which can have favourable outcomes for the nation… There is no cause for alarm and there are no grounds for any form of disorder and we will continue to work to provide a good Government and deliver public services to the people and to work even more closely with the Opposition,” the President added.
On Friday evening, the No-confidence Motion brought by the parliamentary Opposition PPP/C against the Government succeeded when Persaud broke ranks and made a conscious vote in favour of the motion.
A total of 10 MPs had previously debated the motion, but when a vote of division was called, Persaud’s vote changed the numbers to 33 versus his colleagues’ 32 votes against the motion.
The vote was a drama filled one, as Persaud’s colleagues immediately rounded on him to demand answers and even to tell him to change his vote. This had caused the Opposition to verbally complain to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland about the interference.
The tension in the chambers only increased when Scotland asked for the Government side to revote. However, Persaud made it clear he would not change his mind when he repeated his “yes” thrice, even though the remaining Government MPs voted against the motion.
With the Government’s defeat, the next steps are spelt out in the Constitution of Guyana. Article 106 (6) of the Constitution states: “The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.”
Meanwhile, clause 7 goes on to state that “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election.”