When they arrived at the airport the airline announced that Guyana had actually closed it's borders from the night before they had said they would, and a previous flight even had to be turned around and flown back to it's point of departure that previous night.

That was last week.

Fast forward to today.

Arrangements were made to fly home some stranded Guyanese, with the understanding that they would most likely be placed in quarantine.

This was in NO WAY AN ISSUE as we know the situation the world is in.

So i went to Ogle airport to wait and get some information, see what would happen, where they would be taken for quarantine, and if there was anything that i needed to get and drop off for them.

WHAT WE DO NOT AGREE TO is police and other officials (we don't even know who these people are yet) telling everyone that the incoming Guyanese would be taken to an undisclosed location. (Btw, they were tested before boarding the plane and when departing the plane, so it was only a matter of quarantining them for 14 days that remained to be addressed).

The incoming Guyanese were not even told where they would be taken.

A bus was used to transfer them; a police vehicle from Sparendaam station escorted them.

When concerned family members tried following the bus, the police vehile blocked the road. I don't know what words were exchanged between the officer and the other driver when the officer got out of his vehicle.

After which the police van sped off to catch up with the bus, and now with an escort the bus blazed along without a care in the world for the lives of the occupants (2 other children apparently younger than my niece were also on board).

I didn't bother to give chase as i had other family members in town ready to tag team the chase.

So after another family member tagged in, the chase continued.

And on they went, turning onto the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.

At this point now you can understand our level of unease.

They ended up coming to a stop at an army camp somehwere behind Timehri. We don't know if they will be moved again, or to where.

-Their lives were endangered due to what can only be described as reckless driving.
-They and their families were made to panic at what can be described as kidnapping.

I can't, for the life of me, understand how in a nation of approximately 740,000 people we are this incompetent, uncaring, and uncoordinated during a global health crisis that started months ago. Great preparation guys!👍

Did no "expert" consult anyone with an actual brain as to how to handle this situation without causing panic among the population?

Who really is in charge of this circus?!

Charles S. Ramson
Attorney at Law

Given the protracted delay with the declaration of the election result, the issue of whether persons appointed by the President to be Ministers, which includes the Prime Minister, and Vice Presidents, still hold their respective offices was raised as citizens questioned, quite rightfully, whether those persons should still be referring to themselves as such and receiving salaries and other benefits connected thereto all of which is paid for by citizens.

For reference, the important Articles of the Constitution of Guyana on the issue are: 61, 101, 103, 104, 106, 112, and 183.

For the sake of simplification, Art. 104 states that the appointments of the Prime Minister, Vice-Presidents and Ministers shall have effect - which means shall be valid or in force – in “any period between a dissolution of Parliament and the day on which the next election of members of the National Assembly is held”. It is important to note that the Article did not state that the respective appointments shall have effect until the result of the election is declared, it states “the day on which the next election” is held. The day on which the election is held is appointed by the President (see Art. 61) and Granger in his capacity as President issued a Proclamation on the 1st Oct, 2019, for the holding of elections which stated that, “the day for an election under Article 60 (2) appoints 2nd March 2020 as the day on which an election of members of the National Assembly shall be held.” Simply for the sake of completeness, Granger in his capacity as President issued a Proclamation for the dissolution of Parliament the 30th December, 2019.

Even though Art. 183 outlines the circumstances in which the office of a Minister becomes vacant, Art. 104 states the period until the respective appointments shall have effect - an important distinction. With the day of the election appointed as and held on 2nd March, 2020, the Ministers, which includes the Prime Minister, and the Vice Presidents no longer hold valid appointments as at the 2nd March, 2020.

Having already had the Cabinet, including the President as a member thereof, resigned by virtue of the successful passage of the no-confidence vote in Parliament on the 21st December, 2018, this means that the only elected persons of the Government who now remain are the President, who becomes a repository of all previously appointed ministerial portfolios (see Art. 99), and the Attorney General (though not the Minister of Legal Affairs - see Art. 112), still functioning in a caretaker capacity.

Premised on the foregoing, Ministers, which includes the Prime Minister, and Vice Presidents no longer have valid appointments and are not legally entitled to receive any salaries, benefits, and use of state resources connected thereto. Any such receipt thereof would naturally necessitate the institution of legal proceedings for restitution and malfeasance in public office for persons making payments thereto.