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EU urges respect for Constitution, warns of delayed foreign investments

February 5, 2019

No-confidence motion ruling

…calls on Govt to follow all requirements outlined in the Constitution of Guyana
…says democratic procedures, rule of law must be respected, upheld
…as Private Sector blasts Govt for not respecting, honouring Chief Justice’s decision

Local and international pressure continues to mount on Government, as President David Granger is yet to announce a date for early elections.

European Union Ambassador to Guyana, Jernej Videtič

This time, both the European Union (EU) and the Private Sector Commission (PSC) are warning of the need for constitutional compliance.
In a statement on Monday, the EU’s local mission revealed that it was keeping an eye on developments following the vote. The EU urged that democratic procedures and the rule of law be respected and upheld.
The EU also called for free and fair elections to be held and for the Guyana Government to follow all requirements outlined in the Constitution of Guyana following the December 21, 2018 no-confidence vote.
Since acting Chief Justice Roxane George upheld the no-confidence vote on January 31, Government has said it will appeal. According to the EU, it is best if these appeals are expedited, hinting that foreign investments into Guyana are being held up by the political uncertainty.

United Nations Resident Coordinator Mikiko Tanaka

“The Delegation of the European Union calls on all concerned bodies and stakeholders to uphold the Constitution, respecting democratic procedures and the rule of law. Procedures should be managed efficiently, with openness and transparency.
“In this regard, the Delegation of the European Union hopes that the further legal process can be expedited, for the benefit of Guyana, its people and its development, in view of pending Foreign Direct Investments.”
The EU also lauded the High Court, which fast-tracked the no-confidence cases to ensure a ruling by January month end. The statement also expressed expectations for free and fair elections being held in line with the Constitution of Guyana.
Article 106 of the Constitution says that elections must be held within three months after a no-confidence vote is passed. Such a vote was passed on December 21, 2018, but since then there has been uncertainty about the Guyana Elections Commission’s readiness.
Government has since said it is not resigning until its efforts to overturn the no-confidence vote are adjudicated at the level of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
It was only a few days ago that United Nations Resident Coordinator Mikiko Tanaka also urged Government to respect the Constitution of Guyana. Guyana’s PSC had also previously called for GECOM to open up about its readiness for elections.

PSC

Private Sector Commission Chairman Desmond Sears

As uncertainty continues to swirl over when elections will actually be held, the PSC in a strongly worded statement on Monday said it was growing increasingly concerned over the Government’s insistence on business as usual while it appeals the no-confidence cases it lost.
According to the PSC, these statements being made by the Government and its representatives are a matter of concern since the High Court has already refused Government’s request for a stay of judgment.
“The statement issued by the Government’s Department of Public Information clearly and, it appears, with deliberate intent, flies in the face of the decision of the Chief Justice. The ‘status quo’, meaning that nothing has changed, simply does not remain and the business of Government does not continue ‘as usual’. There have since been similar misleading statements made by senior members of the governing party, which add to the Commission’s concern,” the PSC stated.

“We must underline the fact that when the Attorney General sought a conservatory order from the Chief Justice to preserve the ‘status quo ante’, his application was rejected … Clearly, therefore, in the view of the Commission, her ruling remains in place unless successfully appealed in a superior court. The Commission, as a consequence, expects the President and his Government to respect and honour the decision of the Chief Justice.”
In this vein, the PSC made it clear that Government must ensure elections are held no later than March 21, 2019 as required by Article 106 (7) of the Constitution of Guyana. It also reminded that the Chief Justice in her decision upheld Article 106 (6) and (7) of the Constitution, which state that the Government, while remaining in office with the President in place, does so without a functioning Cabinet.
“The Private Sector Commission speaks not only for the business community with hundreds of billions invested in the development of our economy and the employment of some 60 per cent of our workforce. In this case, we believe that we speak for the majority of the nation when we express our concern over public statements which deny the express ruling of the Chief Justice, statements which could lead our country into a situation of grave instability and an illegal government resulting,” the PSC said.
In addition, the Commission threw its support behind both the EU and the UN for throwing their weight behind calls for the Constitution of Guyana to be respected, the rule of law upheld and for free and fair elections.
Government fell to the no-confidence vote on December 21 last year. Article 106 (6) of the Constitution of Guyana states: “The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.”
Meanwhile, 106 (7) goes on to state that, “Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly determine, and shall resign after the President takes the oath of office following the election.”
Both the National Assembly and the High Court have refused Government’s attempts and arguments to overturn the no-confidence vote. Despite this, however, President Granger is yet to indicate a date for elections. GECOM successfully ran the Local Government Elections (LGE) in November 2018, less than three months ago.
It is the President of Guyana, who has to give a date for elections and not GECOM as being touted. The President of Guyana, according to the Constitution, has to dissolve Parliament and issue a date for elections.

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Sheik101Senior Member

Granger said he is not resigning nor has he dissolved parliament. He further stated that there's no such thing as a caretaker Govt. So what now?

2/5/1910:29 AM

Former Member

As usual the PPP a dollar short and a day late. By now they should have been orchestrating massive protests around the country at this attempt of the PNC to remain in office illegally. Why haven't they gotten the US support as yet? Not enough world players speaking out against Granger sloth in this important matter.

2/5/1910:32 AM

NehruBig Mouth Member

Sheik101 posted:
Granger said he is not resigning nor has he dissolved parliament. He further stated that there's no such thing as a caretaker Govt. So what now?

a DUMB FOOL will say anything. What do you think?

2/5/1910:34 AM

cainTired old hippie

Drugb posted:
As usual the PPP a dollar short and a day late. By now they should have been orchestrating massive protests around the country at this attempt of the PNC to remain in office illegally. Why haven't they gotten the US support as yet? Not enough world players speaking out against Granger sloth in this important matter.

US support the PPP? HAHAHAHAAAAAA

2/5/1910:35 AM

Sheik101Senior Member

Nehru posted:
Sheik101 posted:
Granger said he is not resigning nor has he dissolved parliament. He further stated that there's no such thing as a caretaker Govt. So what now?
a DUMB FOOL will say anything. What do you think?

When u get a chance. Check out the. Youtube video on granger speech at vreed en hoop. Dont know if anybody posted before.

2/5/1910:39 AM

Former Member

cain posted:
Drugb posted:
As usual the PPP a dollar short and a day late. By now they should have been orchestrating massive protests around the country at this attempt of the PNC to remain in office illegally. Why haven't they gotten the US support as yet? Not enough world players speaking out against Granger sloth in this important matter.
US support the PPP? HAHAHAHAAAAAA

If the PPP can't mend fences with the US then their cork duck.

2/5/1910:40 AM

kpHonorary Member

Sheik101 posted:
Granger said he is not resigning nor has he dissolved parliament. He further stated that there's no such thing as a caretaker Govt. So what now?

With so many x-army people in government, it will be Military Dictatorship.

2/5/1910:41 AM

Former Member

KP, you have yet to learn the difference between holding the country ransom and acting within the framework of the constitution.

2/5/1910:52 AM

kpHonorary Member

Prince posted:
KP, you have yet to learn the difference between holding the country ransom and acting within the framework of the constitution.

Ramkarran and other educators says the Government must resign as per the constitution.

2/5/1910:56 AM

NehruBig Mouth Member

The friggion UN, Europe, US all saying so the the Power hungry JACKASS says he is not listening cause he is the new Mughabe!!!

2/5/1910:57 AM

Former Member

kp posted:
Prince posted:
KP, you have yet to learn the difference between holding the country ransom and acting within the framework of the constitution.
Ramkarran and other educators says the Government must resign as per the constitution.

When you have doubts, you must read a few paragraphs of the constitution and make your own determination.

2/5/1911:07 AM

kpHonorary Member

Prince posted:
kp posted:
Prince posted:
KP, you have yet to learn the difference between holding the country ransom and acting within the framework of the constitution.
Ramkarran and other educators says the Government must resign as per the constitution.
When you have doubts, you must read a few paragraphs of the constitution and make your own determination.

The friggion UN, Europe, US all saying so the the Power hungry JACKASS says he is not listening cause he is the new Mughabe!!!

2/5/1911:12 AM

kpHonorary Member

GECOM breaches constitutional timeline

February 5, 2019

Court-ordered Art 106 March 19 elections

…as technical staff give July 2019 timeline
…work plan being padded to extend time – PPP Commissioner

Technical staff of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) are claiming the entity will be unprepared to hold General and Regional Elections, which are constitutionally due in March 2019.

On Monday, the Commission’s technical staff made presentations to the seven commissioners and have advised that the earliest elections could be held is July 2019.
Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield has presented copies of work plans detailing what needed to be done in preparation for General Elections, to the operations subcommittee on Monday. This timeline is a blatant breach of the Constitution of Guyana, which outlines that following the passage of a no-confidence motion, an election must be held in 90 days. The constitutional requirement was upheld by acting Chief Justice Roxane George on Thursday last when she held that the no-confidence motion was validly passed in the National Assembly.

Extend time

GECOM Chairman, Retired Justice James Patterson

However, according to People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)-nominated Commissioner Sase Gunraj, the position taken by the technical staff was all a ruse. Gunraj expressed his belief that elections could be held sooner and that the work plan was being padded.
“They have not justified to us all the timelines that they have included in their document. As a consequence, I would not rely on that timeline until I have had enough time to go through the document and scrutinise it.
“They have padded up the timelines with a whole set of things. As a consequence, it is not a realistic timeline that gives a true reflection of what is needed. For example, they’ve now moved training which they previously said would take 90 days; they’ve arbitrarily put 105 days now. They’ve given no reason for the increase.”
Gunraj said the number of days allotted for training could be reduced. In fact, he believes that several activities could be compressed to achieve an earlier date for elections. But he made it clear that if the constitutional timelines were not followed by the Secretariat, that was tantamount to dereliction of duty.
Following last Tuesday’s meeting at GECOM, the Secretariat had agreed to provide members of the Commission with several work plans detailing the various options and the timelines regarding the holding of General and Regional Elections.
Even this was initially not done, with a PPP/C-nominated commissioner complaining that despite promises of receiving the work plans by Friday, they were yet to receive them as of Saturday. It had been the Commissioners’ hope that they could be given the weekend to properly analyse the timelines before a meeting scheduled for today.
The parliamentary Opposition, sections of the diplomatic community, Private Sector, civil society and other observers have called the Government out on its attempt to delay the holding of the constitutionally-mandated elections following the no-confidence resolution of December 21, 2018. The three-month time frame in which the polls should be held was validated in last Thursday’s interpretation by acting Chief Justice George, who declared that the motion was validly passed by 33 votes to 32.

The complaint has been that GECOM was not forthcoming about its preparedness for the mandatory elections.
In fact, during a previous meeting with the Opposition and Government Chief Whips, the GECOM Chairman, Retired Justice James Patterson abruptly ended a meeting on the Commission’s preparedness after he was pressed for answers.
On Sunday, PPP/C GECOM Commissioner Bibi Shadick called out CEO Lowenfield for his part in the entire dilemma.
Shadick explained that Lowenfield must bear some responsibility for the status of GECOM, since he knew since last year that elections were due in three months after the passage of the no-confidence motion.

2/5/1911:15 AM

Former Member

Prince posted:
KP, you have yet to learn the difference between holding the country ransom and acting within the framework of the constitution.

KP and his friends like Nehru are idiots. Funny to see them blabbing about "US" help when PPP clown followers like Nehru cussing the yankees hay daily and calling them "American pigs". Dem ah watch alyuh. Yuh ain't getting one iota of help dis time. Dem anti American sentiments are KNOWN!

2/5/1911:28 AM

Former Member

kp posted:
With so many x-army people in government, it will be Military Dictatorship.

What "military dictatorship" are you bleating about you old fool? There have been 2 LGE in a few years where your beloved PPP had NONE in 23 years. Were you waving yuh panty and screaming about "dictatorship" then clown? Incidentally, the APNU lost BOTH LGE, yet there was a peaceful transition after LGE.

There was the NCV, a yes vote on NCV, an appeal to the courts, the courts ruled in the PPP favor and STILL no violence! All allowed under the APNU and it's military guys!

WTF are you talking about miltary dictatorship you fool??? Dis is why people laff at alyuh. Is like yuh wailing and screaming fuh black man beat pon yuh suh yuh kyan show de world yuh marks. Antimanish.

And stop screwing up the format of the damn thread. Yuh even copy Nehru post verbatim. If yuh drunk...stop posting.

2/5/1911:34 AM

Former Member

Iguana posted:
What "military dictatorship" are you bleating about you old fool? There have been 2 LGE in a few years where your beloved PPP had NONE in 23 years. Were you waving yuh panty and screaming about "dictatorship" then clown? Incidentally, the APNU lost BOTH LGE, yet there was a peaceful transition after LGE.
There was the NCV, a yes vote on NCV, an appeal to the courts, the courts ruled in the PPP favor and STILL no violence! All allowed under the APNU and it's military guys!
WTF are you talking about miltary dictatorship you fool??? Dis is why people laff at alyuh. Is like yuh wailing and screaming fuh black man beat pon yuh suh yuh kyan show de world yuh marks. Antimanish.
And stop screwing up the format of the damn thread. Yuh even copy Nehru post verbatim. If yuh drunk...stop posting.

LGE is not where the power deh. Is the general elections that is most important as this is where the MP in parliament is determined, directly translating into real power. Military dictatorship in the works as PNC Granger and the AFC looking to hold on to power by hook or by crook.

2/5/1912:02 PM

Former Member

Prince posted:
KP, you have yet to learn the difference between holding the country ransom and acting within the framework of the constitution.

You overnight by mail law degree mek you wan constitutional scholar now? Do you know the meaning of Ransom and Constitution?

2/5/191:29 PM

Former Member

skeldon_man posted:
Prince posted:
KP, you have yet to learn the difference between holding the country ransom and acting within the framework of the constitution.
You overnight by mail law degree mek you wan constitutional scholar now? Do you know the meaning of Ransom and Constitution?

De man and DJ attended the NAR university and get dem degree. Show some respect.

2/5/191:44 PM

Former Member

Drugb posted:
skeldon_man posted:
Prince posted:
KP, you have yet to learn the difference between holding the country ransom and acting within the framework of the constitution.
You overnight by mail law degree mek you wan constitutional scholar now? Do you know the meaning of Ransom and Constitution?
De man and DJ attended the NAR university and get dem degree. Show some respect.

Me go respek dem when dem post dem big, big degree leh all abie see. Me hear dem ask fuh dem degree get gold plated edge.

2/5/191:49 PM

Former Member

O rass, DJ attended LAAR university ?

2/5/191:51 PM

Former Member

Drugb posted:
Iguana posted:
What "military dictatorship" are you bleating about you old fool? There have been 2 LGE in a few years where your beloved PPP had NONE in 23 years. Were you waving yuh panty and screaming about "dictatorship" then clown? Incidentally, the APNU lost BOTH LGE, yet there was a peaceful transition after LGE.
There was the NCV, a yes vote on NCV, an appeal to the courts, the courts ruled in the PPP favor and STILL no violence! All allowed under the APNU and it's military guys!
WTF are you talking about miltary dictatorship you fool??? Dis is why people laff at alyuh. Is like yuh wailing and screaming fuh black man beat pon yuh suh yuh kyan show de world yuh marks. Antimanish.
And stop screwing up the format of the damn thread. Yuh even copy Nehru post verbatim. If yuh drunk...stop posting.
LGE is not where the power deh. Is the general elections that is most important as this is where the MP in parliament is determined, directly translating into real power. Military dictatorship in the works as PNC Granger and the AFC looking to hold on to power by hook or by crook.

The speaker of the house is a black PNC man. He let the NCV motion carry and refused to reverse his decision. The judge was a black woman, who is most likely PNC, and she ruled the NCV fine. No one in the govt interfered with the courts or the voting process.

Suh what "military dictatorship in the works" shit yuh talking about? De only "works" goin' on is dat nasty belly "wuk" yuh shitting out hay.

2/5/192:26 PM

Former Member

nothing wrong wid lil military dictatorship

2/5/192:34 PM

Former Member

Ray posted:
nothing wrong wid lil military dictatorship

Yuh Indo kkk friends like yugi, nehru, skelton, kp, dave (who is also he own uncle), ksazma, ramgoat, druggie, etc. keep begging and bawling fuh one. Must be those homo erotic fantasies they have about black men manhandling them during a dictatorship. Sheer antiman shit. Grown men looking forward to other men abusing them. Sick shit.

2/5/192:37 PM

NehruBig Mouth Member

A JACKASS like you cant manhandle shit!!!!!! You can BRAY but that is all!!!

2/5/192:41 PM

Former Member

skeldon_man posted:
Drugb posted:
skeldon_man posted:
Prince posted:
KP, you have yet to learn the difference between holding the country ransom and acting within the framework of the constitution.
You overnight by mail law degree mek you wan constitutional scholar now? Do you know the meaning of Ransom and Constitution?
De man and DJ attended the NAR university and get dem degree. Show some respect.
Me go respek dem when dem post dem big, big degree leh all abie see. Me hear dem ask fuh dem degree get gold plated edge.

I will take the liberty of posting on dem bais behalf:

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2/5/193:02 PM

Former Member

Look at the official slop can bais certification. DJ is fully certified !

He also has one from LAAR university.

2/5/193:15 PM

kpHonorary Member

Iguana posted:
Ray posted:
nothing wrong wid lil military dictatorship
Yuh Indo kkk friends like yugi, nehru, skelton, kp, dave (who is also he own uncle), ksazma, ramgoat, druggie, etc. keep begging and bawling fuh one. Must be those homo erotic fantasies they have about black men manhandling them during a dictatorship. Sheer antiman shit. Grown men looking forward to other men abusing them. Sick shit.

G/T gay boy you are posting on the wrong site, you are looking for a Coolie man to molest you. You are too damn ugly and smells like gutter rat. Do yourself a favor and tie a rope.

2/5/194:19 PM

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Topics

EU urges respect for Constitution, warns of delayed foreign investments

No-confidence motion ruling

…calls on Govt to follow all requirements outlined in the Constitution of Guyana …says democratic procedures, rule of law must be respected, upheld …as Private Sector blasts Govt for not respecting, honouring Chief Justice’s decision

Local and international pressure continues to mount on Government, as President David Granger is yet to announce a date for early elections.

PSC

GECOM breaches constitutional timeline

Court-ordered Art 106 March 19 elections

…as technical staff give July 2019 timeline …work plan being padded to extend time – PPP Commissioner

Technical staff of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) are claiming the entity will be unprepared to hold General and Regional Elections, which are constitutionally due in March 2019.

Extend time

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…calls on Govt to follow all requirements outlined in the Constitution of Guyana
…says democratic procedures, rule of law must be respected, upheld
…as Private Sector blasts Govt for not respecting, honouring Chief Justice’s decision

…as technical staff give July 2019 timeline
…work plan being padded to extend time – PPP Commissioner