…the APNU/AFC coalition
The way they jumped for cover, Opposition Leader Bharat Jagdeo might as well have lobbed a grenade amongst the members of the PNC-led APNU/AFC coalition when he lodged a motion of “no confidence” against them. Or did he let loose a cat amongst the government’s plump pigeons? Jagdeo’s press Conference to announce his intention had barely finished when “the leaders of the coalition” – as described by the state’s Chronic – huddled in one of their private houses.
But while the Chronic took pains to give all the attendees, who “affirmed their unity”, their full party and Governmental titles – Carl Greenidge and Khemraj Ramjattan, Volda Lawrence, PNCR, Amna Ally, Joseph Harmon and David Patterson, Moses Nagamootoo, who was also present, was only described as “Prime Minister”, and not “Acting President”.
Now this is very significant. It shows clearly that even at a moment of crisis for their survival as a government, the PNC top guns are unwilling to concede any “primus inter pares” – first among equals – to Nagamootoo. But while the President is out of the jurisdiction – and it’s now clear he will unfortunately be out for some time – Nagamootoo IS President (ag). There’s no ifs or buts about this – and it’s not just because of the increased number of outriders he’s been tooling around Georgetown with! It’s covered by the Constitution in Article 96!!
This fact, of course, is very crucial in the upcoming “no confidence” vote, since if the PNC hierarchy keeps dissing Nagamootoo, he might just insist he’s PRESIDENT and not to show up to give his “aye” in the National Assembly! After all, he can’t stage a State House putsch by firing the Cabinet or appoint a new due to Article 96 (2) forbidding this move, so an abstention might be the best way for PNCites not recognising his importance!
But your Eyewitness doesn’t think Jagdeo laid the no-confidence motion on a wing and a prayer or Nagamootoo’s petulance – that not his style. It’s clear to yours truly that the overwhelming support for the PPP at the LGE must’ve made several coalition MP’s fearful of their future after 2020, and signalled to the Opposition Leader that they’re willing to fall sick on the day of the critical vote! They can also abstain during the vote since the Representative of the List – by the Recall Legislation of 2007 – would’ve had to know who’d be “finking” and submit the recall notice IN WRITING to the Speaker!
The bottom line, dear readers, is we are living in very interesting times. It’ll be poetic justice for Nagamootoo who moved the no confidence motion against the PPP in 2015.
He’ll now lose his “Presidency” by the same route!!
…Pandora’s Box
There was an interesting reaction by the Guyana Transgender Union (GTU) – NOT to be confused with the GTU that’s the acronym of the Guyana Teachers Union – to the CCJ’s ruling that Guyana’s Cross-Dressing laws have to be struck down. To prevent confusion, your Eyewitness will refer to the former as GTU2. Anyhow, the Director of GTU2 interestingly made what has to be a Freudian slip when she declared: “What it (the CCJ’s ruling) means for us is a Pandora box has just been opened”.
Your Eyewitness would’ve thought this would be the reaction of all those rabid homophobic fundamentalists out there who see the ruling as the return of Sodom and Gomorrah! After all, the phrase “to open Pandora’s box” nowadays means, according to Wiki, “Any source of great and unexpected troubles”, or alternatively “A present which seems valuable but which in reality is a curse”.
But not to worry. If those T20 women could wear the same uniform as the men, why can’t some biological “men” wear the same outfits as women tennis players?
It’s a brave new world!
…the shakedown box
The government claims the police are investigating the firemen who looted the Air Jamaica crashed jet’s passengers’ luggage.
Isn’t this having the cat investigating the mice who ate the cheese?
