Only fresh elections will break current political impasse – former Speaker

The only way to break the current political stalemate in Guyana is through Constitutional reform and new elections.
This is the view held by Former Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran, who in his most recent writings for his blog conversationtree.gy, said that instead of seeking the kind of unity that would have ensured political stability and development after the 2011 elections, the PPP/C opted for a minority government.

Former Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran

According to Ramkarran, there is nothing wrong in principal with such a decision, once the Opposition permits such a situation on the basis of some form of agreement about major policy directions.

“This did not happen and the Opposition is allowing the government to hold office on sufferance, not on the basis of agreed policies…The result is that there is political gridlock and a stalemate on legislation and developmental projects, with potential investors being warned.”

This situation, Ramkarran predicts, will continue until the next elections, due in 2016, and is unfair to the Guyanese people and is not what they voted for.
According to Ramkarran, during the past week there were two news items of political interest.

“One is that, contrary to popular belief and an undertaking from the President, no budget discussions are taking place…The other is that the Opposition is unlikely to support the anti-money laundering legislation in its present form unless the Public Procurement Commission is established.”
Ramkarran said that he believes that, “these developments are surely connected.”
According to Ramkarran, for compromise to be achieved on anything, discussions must take place.

He said that in its absence, “Guyana can expect no developments whatsoever in or out of Parliament, except in those areas of the economy which do not depend on agreement between these forces…We are seeing it in rice, mining and construction.”

According to Ramkarran, the failure of the Amaila Hydroelectric Project, the Opposition’s warning to potential investors in the Marriott, the possibility of the Airport Expansion Project and the Specialty Hospital being derailed, “and now the anti-money laundering legislation being held up, which will negatively impact on Government, Opposition and the entire country, indicate that our political impasse is growing to intolerable proportions.”