-implement constitutional reform

On the occasion of the anniversary of the return of democracy on October 5, 1992, A New and United Guyana (ANUG) yesterday called on the PPP/C government to re-commit itself to shared governance and a ‘winner does not take all’ political system and to take steps to immediately implement a process of constitutional reform to bring this about.

ANUG which is one of three parties which will be sharing one seat in Parliament said:

“There is an inescapable national consensus that is embraced by countries friendly to Guyana that the time has come to implement a political system that is more responsive to Guyana’s conditions. In its election campaign ANUG advocated an executive comprising the main political parties in equal numbers with a rotating president or chief executive and an independent parliament. Both major political parties called for inclusive governance without specifying any measures that they proposed to implement”.

ANUG, whose presidential candidate was Ralph Ramkarran, said that as the situation now stands, it does not appear that the two main political parties: PPP/C and APNU+AFC  are anywhere close to beginning discussions to resolve issues relating to Guyana’s constitutional and legal structures.

“ANUG calls on the Government of Guyana on this important anniversary to re-commit itself to shared governance and a ‘winner does not take all’ political system and to take steps to immediately implement a process of constitutional reform to bring this about”, the party said. 

It noted that October 5th was the 28th anniversary of the return of democracy in Guyana after rigged elections in 1968, 1973, 1980 and 1985 and a rigged referendum in 1978.

“The PPP/C won the elections on 5th October, 1992, promising shared governance or a ‘winner does not take all’ system of government. The PPP/C remained in office for twenty-three years amidst an unstable political system, punctuated by periodic violence and with economic growth unreflective of Guyana’s potential. The electorate voted the PPP/C out of office in 2015 and placed its confidence in the APNU+AFC coalition to mend our political system by implementing a detailed plan for shared governance. They failed to do so and attempted unsuccessfully to rig the 2020 elections. Tensions once again exploded into ethnic violence after the brutal murder of the Henry cousins in West Coast Berbice. Ten-sions in several areas are still simmering”, ANUG noted yesterday, underlining its call for shared governance.