Call elections and let’s get on with it- Ramjattan dares President

Call elections and let’s get on with it, is the exhortation of Alliance for Change Leader (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan,

Khemraj Ramjattan

who yesterday preempted Head of State Donald Ramotar’s, awaited address to the media/public today. The AFC Leader during a brief interview with this publication said that elections can be held as early as March next year, a reality that would have eventuated from a successful passage of the No Confidence Motion his party had initiated. Ramjattan is adamant that there is no other recourse as there is no other forum for talks as it relates to the Administration and the AFC. Ramjattan, whose party is also heading to its General Council meeting today to among other things elect its office bearers, feels that Parliament should be dissolved now. He did caution that while the party’s Vice Chairman Moses Nagamootoo, has been nominated Presidential Candidate and Chairman Nigel Hughes, nominated Prime Ministerial Candidate, those elections will not be held today. According to the party leader, those elections will not be had until President Ramotar calls a date for elections but in the meantime, the party will still continue to do its ground work in anticipation of going to the polls. Ramjattan however, is adamant that the only way to break the current political impasse is for the President when he addresses the nation today, to announce a date for elections and for Guyanese to head to the polls. While Ramjattan holds this view, Opposition Leader, David Granger told the media yesterday that he is not optimistic about seeing a positive outcome from the President’s announcement on the way forward. The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Leader said that while Ramotar is expected to announce a solution to the impasse, he doubts it will be ‘a way forward.” Granger made the point that the manner in which the Head of State has been dealing with national issues has not resulted in one single positive outcome for the citizenry. He noted that Ramotar has failed in announcing a way that leads to progress with regard to the annual budget, local government elections and even the anti-money laundering legislation. “So I don’t expect much and I wouldn’t be disappointed,” he added. Earlier this week, head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon announced that today Head of State, President Donald Ramotar will inform the nation on the way forward following what he called a “disappointing” response by the Opposition Leader David Granger to a November 18, letter inviting him to engage in dialogue on the way forward. According to Dr. Luncheon, “There can be little doubt that general elections are gaining currency as a reasonable and acceptable alternative to talks among parliamentary political parties,” Dr. Luncheon stated. The President, he said, has two options to choose from, following his decision to prorogue Parliament. These options are either to dissolve the Parliament and call general and regional elections within a 90-day period, or end the prorogation of Parliament. The third option has been discounted since the President indicated that he will not be extending the period of prorogation, a second time. According to Dr. Luncheon, the government has not been able to achieve the objectives of the almost one-month old prorogation.