Last Updated on Monday, 12 January 2015, 18:51 by GxMedia
Amidst mounting calls from the United Kingdom (UK) for an end to the prorogation of the Guyana Parliament, People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) General Secretary Clement Rohee says Guyana does not have to listen to what Britain says.
His statements came Monday during the partyâs press conference when asked how he felt that prorogation, as practiced in Guyana, is being criticized by the residentHigh Commissioner of the jurisdiction in which it originated.
Last Thursday the UKâs ForeignOffice Minister, Tobias Ellwood, called for the earliest possible resumption of Parliament, and this morning UK High Commissioner to Guyana, Andrew Ayre, iterated that call.
Rohee though, saysâThis country has gotten its independence from Britain since 1966, we donât have to listen to what Britain says in respect to such pronouncements (the use of prorogation), this is an independent country.The British have their own arrangements there too.â
He further said that whether prorogation was adopted from the UK it resides in Guyanaâs constitution and is open to use. âThis constitution is a Guyana constitutionâŠwhatever is in the constitution now, prorogation or whatever is there was adopted by the Guyanese people.â
While asserting Guyanaâs independence though, Rohee said he understood the rationale for such statements. âIt is quite understandable for them to be concerned about elections in Guyana as donors and so forth but I think there is a limit to which they should go when dealing with such matters.â Rohee said though, that in the current case the PPP/C thinks the High Commissioner went âbeyond the pale,â and he added that âas I see it, it looks to me that some members of the diplomatic corps are being more and more involved in our internal affairs, especially when it comes to the holding of elections.â
Ayre Monday said that âexternal investor confidence takes a further knock as insecurity around Guyanaâs future prospects decreases the appetite of investors to take the risk of investing whilst pushing up the cost of doing so.â Rohee, however, believes that whatever uncertainty abounds is the result of impending elections.
âIf anything like that is happening it has to be the fact that elections is in the airâŠthis is not unusual or peculiar to this point in time, every time there is elections going on or about to be held in any country you have these kinds of concerns being expressed,â he shared.
Asked if he knows when the President will finally dissolve Parliament and call general elections he said âI donât know how long this prorogation period will last, but constitutionally it could last for a period of time.â He noted though, that the president is currently overseas and cannot be expected to make such a pronouncement while out of the jurisdiction.â
Several hours before the National Assembly was to debate, and likely pass, a no-confidence motion against government President Donald Ramotar prorogued Parliament on November 10. He had stated that his reason was to hold talks with the Alliance for Change (AFC) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) to cut a path forward but both parties have ruled out any dialogue during the prorogation.
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD OR LISTEN TO THIS EDITION OF CARIBBEAN NEWS DESK HERE {mp3remote}https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/143143643/caribnewsdesk/caribnews_jan12_2015.MP3{/mp3remote}
In this editionâŠ
Seven dead in St Vincent as bus plunges into sea
Britain piles pressure on Guyana over democracy; ruling party says it doesnât have to listen
The Dominican Republic and the United States sign new extradition agreement
The British Virgin Islands changes laws to cater for renewable energy
And we hear about cigar-smoking women in Cuba