By Gomatie Gangadin

Amid mounting criticism from various sections of society over deviations by the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition from the Cummingsburg Accord, former Foreign Affairs Minister and political commentator, Dr Henry Jeffrey and social activist Ramon Gaskin are calling on the new Government to offer an explanation to the Guyanese people on the breaches.

Dr Henry Jeffrey

According to the February 14th Accord, the President shall, among other things, delegate the responsibilities of domestic national affairs and the chairing of Cabinet to the Prime Minister. Other responsibilities delegated to the Prime Minister should have included recommending ministerial appointments and providing the organisational structures of Ministries for the approval of the President; appointment of heads of agencies and non-constitutional commissions, with the required and agreed democratic mechanisms of consultation, and domestic security (Home Affairs). The parties had also agreed that Cabinet positions would be allocated on a 60/40 basis between APNU and the AFC, respectively.

However, the David Granger Administration currently boasts four Vice Presidents, two from the APNU and two from the AFC, while the first two Cabinet sittings were chaired by President Granger.

However, Dr Jeffrey, in an invited comment related that despite the fact that the Prime Minister has indicated that he was not bothered by the deviation, the fact of the matter was that there were changes from the agreement which was penned by the two parties. He explained that the AFC must now go to the people and explain why it is that there is a deviation.

The political commentator further pointed out that while the Constitution requires that the President chair Cabinet, the Accord had stated that such a task will be delegated to the Prime Minister and as such, the legal minds in the coalition should have known that this could not be. “They should have known this before. They cannot say they did not know this before,” Jeffrey intoned.

According to Jeffrey, a deviation is a violation of the agreement and as such, there is now a need for the parties to sit down and explain to the Guyanese society why it is so since Guyanese would have judged them and voted for the coalition based on what the document was premised.

“People voted for them based on the agreement so they really need to explain that. Also, from my point of view, I understand that conditions can change, but they cannot unilaterally change. We need to have an explanation,” he opined.

In the meantime, Gaskin, a prominent social activist, told Guyana Times that he was prepared to give them some time to adjust and to get things in order since they are relatively new in the Government. He noted that while there is a deviation from the arrangement of the Cabinet’s chairmanship, it could simply mean that the President, for the first set of meetings, wanted to meet with his Ministers in an effort to discuss with them, his expectations and responsibilities which have been bestowed upon them.

He, however, admitted that by virtue of signing an agreement and presenting it to the Guyanese public, they should have and must adhere to such and to this end, he will be keeping an eye out to see whether it is indeed a matter of them adjusting or whether they intend on a continued breach of the document.

President Granger for his part when asked to comment on the deviation expressed that the coalition was presently working on a review of the document.  He admitted that to persist with some of the stipulations of the Accord will be unconstitutional and as such, he will be awaiting the constitutional reform so that the agreement can be followed.

“To the extent that some things are in collision with the Constitution they will await constitutional change…we cannot be expected to do unconstitutional things,” Granger told reporters.

When questioned on the matter on Monday by Guyana Times, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said nonchalantly that he was not bothered or in any way affected by President Granger reneging on that agreement and chairing the proceedings of the Cabinet.

Nagamootoo had further stated that the Accord was not worth more than the country and, as such, those were minor things. “We have an active President and we have to make this Accord work; make this coalition work; and for me the things that are minor irritancies I won’t elevate to any importance,” he had said.