Dissolution proclamation published
THE proclamation for the dissolution of Parliament was issued yesterday via an ‘extraordinary’ publication of the Official Gazette.Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, yesterday maintained that the dissolution was done in compliance with the provisions of Guyana’s Constitution.
“Parliament has been dissolved as indicated by President Donald Ramotar and the dissolution was done in compliance with the relevant constitutional provisions,” he told the Chronicle in an invited comment.
The President, last Tuesday, indicated that he would dissolve Parliament yesterday, February 28, paving the way for the May 11 General and Regional Elections.
He reasoned that the dissolution was done yesterday so as to ensure that all eligible voters are enfranchised in the lead-up to the polls.
“I did not dissolve the Parliament at the same time because, had I done so, the Claims and Objections period, which also allows for transfers would have been truncated. Were the latter to have occurred, thousands of Guyanese voters who changed their place of residence would not have been able to obtain their transfers, and this could have led to them being disenfranchised,” the President said in a televised address to the nation, during which he made the announcement.
This fact was confirmed by senior officials of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
Also, the Claims subset of the Claims and Objection period ended on Sunday, February 22, while the Objections subset will end on February 27. To date, the numbers released by GECOM indicate that thousands have taken advantage of the Claims and Objections period.
Parliament had remained prorogued following President Ramotar’s November 10 proclamation in the face of a Confidence motion that would have ended the life of the 10th Parliament and move the country to even earlier elections.
The Head of State’s subsequent announcement of a date for elections came after the objective of prorogation (dialogue in the face of political impasse) failed.
Additionally, Article 61 of the Constitution states thus: “An election of members of the National Assembly under Article 60 (2) shall be held on such day within three months after dissolution of Parliament as the President shall appoint by proclamation.”
The groups of public officials who will be affected by the dissolution will include the RDCs and Members of Parliament (MPs), the services of whom will be curtailed.
The Executive Government, the President and his Cabinet, will continue in their roles until a new executive has been sworn in after the upcoming elections. === (Vanessa Narine)
