Press Release: Friday, February 24, 2017
The PNC-Coalition has a right to be very fearful about the Court Of Appeal (COA) ruling last week. The reason they are trembling is because they are doing to the country exactly what Jagdeo and the PPP said they did to the voters: they are ignoring them. Now Jagdeo and the PPP have been traversing the country apologizing to their supporters and the country. And though reluctantly, the PPP followers and some other citizens seem to be willing to forgive Jagdeo for his unforgivable misdeeds. He has also recently won the leadership of his party and is now the General Secretary, which positions him to be the next PPP presidential candidate.
So the decision by former Chief Justice Ian Chang’s, ruling that the two-term presidential limit is unconstitutional and the upholding of that ruling by the COA, play right into Mr. Jagdeo’s hands. It is undoubted that Mr. Jagdeo is the single most powerful political and racists, leader in Guyana. And while President David Granger had the opportunity of competing for the status of being a powerful leader, he and his Coalition are doing so badly at keeping their promises and managing the Country, that he has squandered his opportunity to provide any significant rivalry to Jagdeo.
Once on the political ropes after losing two consecutive national elections, Mr. Jagdeo has been awarded with a second breath, and maybe a second attempt at the Presidency, because of the mammoth failures of the PNC-Coalition. Jagdeo only remains relevant because the Granger-led administration has failed and utterly disappointed the Guyanese citizenry. Additionally, the COA has framed the appeal as a constitutional matter, thus making any appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) by the current administration, an uphill task. It is not likely that a court comprising of foreign jurists will rule on the constitutionality of a national matter, if only because the precedent would be far reaching and might even affect political decisions in the countries in which they reside. I believe that the CCJ will refer the matter back to the COA and the matter will be stayed.
However, what is of significant note is the notion that Mr. Jagdeo is rumored to have intentions of running again as the President of Guyana. Which begs the question, Are there no other figures in the PPP that the Central Committee can look to for future leadership? Why in such as old party, one man seems to be the only answer to their survival question? The United Republican Party (URP) believes that Mr. Jagdeo was not good for Guyana and will not be good for Guyana given his track record. He presided over a woefully corrupt, vicious, vindictive and authoritarian government. We believe that it is to the detriment of Guyana for him to be reelected to lead this nation. In light of these facts, the URP calls on the President to immediately put systems in place to have the COA’s ruling be put as a referendum to the people.
The URP notices, given the COA’s latest ruling, that any decision the Parliament makes is likely to be challenged and over turned in court. We were also reliably informed that the PPP are opposed to any constitutional reform, given the powers resident in the current constitution. It is the belief of the PPP that given free and fair elections in 2020, they will regain the government. The URP is therefore suggesting that the government expedites the constitutional reform amendments – regulating the Presidential powers, the proportional representation, etc, – and have all those form part of the referendum.
The divisive, winner-take-all, unpatriotic, kind of politics in Guyana is becoming starker. Should a seething Jagdeo regain the Presidency with its Executive powers, in this weakened nation, Guyana might never recover from what he is likely to do to us using those executive powers. If the PNC-Coalition with its AFC arm is indeed concerned about the future of Guyana; if they are indeed patriotic and visionary, they will immediately put measures in train to stave off any end-run my Jagdeo. The Granger-led administration should follow the suggestion of the Court Of Appeal, and put the issue in a referendum to the people. This is the only guaranteed approach, except of course the Coalition knows for sure they will win because they have some sinister plan of returning to power. dc@tbsllp.com
Yours truly, Dr. Vishnu Bandhu Leader, URP
These two political parties – the PPP and the PNC – have mortally damaged the psyche of the Guyanese people. Just look at the fiasco that is ensuing in connection with the Red House issue. Imagine there are people on the side of the PNC that have turned out to oppose the vigil of the PPP. If this is not political, social cohesive and moral/commonsensical backwardness, what is? How can the Granger administration and President David Granger himself not understand how damaging to the psyche of any PPP follower, this regressive move will be? Can the PNC not realize that such a move does not make for peace? Does Mr. Granger not understand that he cannot continue to claim to be the champion of Social Cohesion and yet engage in this kind of divisive behavior?
It is obvious that this new administration has a multitude of square pegs in round holes and that they lack the vision needed to move this country forward. After two years, the Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ali, has been kicked out of her position. The United Republican Party (URP) has long argued that she was never the right fit. How can Minister Ali, the ‘Chief Whip’ of the PNC, be asked to serve as the minister charged with bridging the political and racial gap between the two parties and the country? Then we have Minister of Health Mr. George Norton. He was caught lying about millions of dollars he awarded to his buddy and was found guilty of insider trading, now he has been disgracefully maintained as a minister; even though he was unceremoniously removed from his esteemed position.
This administration, which continues to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to corruption, crony-ism and bully-ism, is taking this country down a regressive, oppressive, authoritarian path. The PNC’s old ways are quickly resurfacing. The URP is convinced that this is not what the Guyanese electorate voted for.
This latest Red House saga is the latest in a constant rollout of the dangerous enactments of this regime. Why are they so bent on enraging the Guyanese populace? These constant moves of the PNC-ites show utter disdain for the will of the citizenry of Guyana. From the unconscionable removal of the vendors, to the institution of the draconian parking meter, to the utter disrespect shown to the rice and sugar farmers, to the bait-and-switch of the young voters, to the 2017 budget (with its vat on water and light) this Granger-led Government seems to be on a collision course with common sense, logic and patriotism.
It is the unnecessary and untimely decision made concerning the Red House that we focus on today. It would have been to the benefit of all if some discussions were engaged in to amiably include the desires and intent of this government and the other stake holders. If the PNC has problems with how the Red House was being utilized, then that too could have been a part of the discussions. It does not take a rocket scientist to reveal that Guyana is morbidly racially and politically divided. This is so because of the very kinds of behavior now adopted by the PNC. One would think that knowing the history of Guyana (Mr. Granger himself a historian and the originator of the Social Cohesion Ministry) much thought and restraint would have been employed in such a delicate matter but alas, political bully-ism trumps Social Cohesion and historical correctness.
The URP remembers that when the increased tariffs were agreed upon for electricity in Linden, the Lindeners rejected the idea and even though Mr. Granger and the then Opposition had signed off on the increases, the PPP walked back the tariffs. Where is that spirit of cohesion? Where is that magnanimous leader that the Guyanese first envisioned in Mr. Granger?
The PNC-ites are now trying to conjure some sort of nonexistent drama as it relates to the former President Residence, turned Castellani House. Let the records reflect that there were no protests or substantial objection to the move of establishing an art gallery at that property on Vlissingen Road. Additionally, that building was never designated a research center, nor a historical building designated to the life of President Burnham. Such is not true about the Red House, for not only did Dr. Jagan live there but it was also designated a historical building and a research center in his honor and that should be respected.
The URP continues to be disappointed at the way in which the two political parties govern Guyana. The PPP and the PNC always manage to find ways to engender and highlight the worse racial fears of the Guyanese people. From the outlandish remarks of the PPP leaders to the autocratic positions of the leaders of the PNC, Guyana finds itself in a 50 year-old backward struggle, led by selfish, greedy, power-hungry politicians. The New Year has begun with a nasty political bug – one can only imagine how it will end.