General elections to be held when GECOM is ready – Granger

Last Updated on Wednesday, 9 January 2019, 13:55 by Writer

Following his meeting with Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo Wednesday, President David Granger said both sides have agreed that regional and general elections will be held within the administrative capability of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

“We have agreed that the two sides will continue to work together to engage GECOM to ensure that elections are held within the administrative capabilities of the Guyana Elections Commission” he stated in a brief address.

The Head of State said he has assured the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) that there is no intention by his Government to derail the Constitution of Guyana.

He also said the court cases that challenge the accuracy of the 33 to 32 vote in parliament and the eligibility of  recalled government backbencher Charrandas Persaud to sit in the House because he is a foreign citizen would not be discontinued. “This is quite legitimate and there is no intention on the part of the government to derail the constitutional or the legislative process,” he said.

The President said both sides broadly agreed that there is a continued role for the executive and the Parliament and neither of them “could be allowed to fail”. “Public services have to be delivered. Public order has to be maintained and therefore the two sides reached broad agreement on how these institutions – the legislative branch and the executive branch – would continue to function,” he said.

The President is assuring the public that both sides are working towards a solution and that public interest remains paramount for the Coalition Government. “We are working to a solution that they’ll be satisfied with. The public interest is our paramount concern,” he said.

The two sides met to discuss the way forward following the December 21, 2018 no-confidence vote in the National Assembly. Two court actions have been filed in the High Court challenging the motion’s passage.

Opposition Leader Jagdeo has applied to the court to be party to one of the court cases, and political commentator Christopher Ram has also asked the Court to declare the no-confidence motion validly passed.