Elections CoI provided platform for timely reminder of legal battles at 2020 elections

Dear Editor,

It is good that at the Commission of Inquiry (into the attempted rigging of the 2020 Guyana Elections), Attorney General (AG) Anil Nandlall, SC, recapped some recent history, so that we can reinforce the records if, by any chance, there will still be deniers of what actually took place in the aftermath of the said 2020 Guyana Elections. As we all know, the delayed elections were actualised in March 02, 2020, and this was really after some 15 months of tricky dalliance from the fallen Coalition Government.

I think we remember quite well that the then Government was derailed legally too, via the successful December 21, 2018 People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s (PPP/C’s) No Confidence Motion, redounding in the said falling “…after APNU+AFC MP Charrandas Persaud voted ‘yes’.”

However, this simple matter was not resolved until July 2019, some six months after the fact.

Editor, let me revisit the end of this No-Confidence Motion, as it serves to highlight the evil gamesmanship of the then Government (running on pure illegality). The apex court, the CCJ, stated that “…upon the passage of a vote of no confidence, (there must be) the resignation of the Cabinet, including the President (even though) among other things, notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office, and that an election shall be held 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”.

What I really want readers to grasp is that the attempted rigging of the 2020 Guyana Elections was well presaged in these exercises of evil otiosity. Let me illustrate.

On December 22, almost immediately after the ‘fall’, grounded in the passage of the No-confidence Motion filed by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Opposition against the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Coalition, (then) Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo emphatically said that the “Government will uphold the law.” He elaborated that “This means, in accordance with the Constitution of Guyana, the Coalition Administration will have to resign and call national elections within the next three months.” So, he and his colleagues knew from the onset what should have ensued. He himself quoted that “Article 106 (6) and (7) of the Constitution states respectively: “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.” And “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.” Yet, in evil defiance, A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Coalition frustrated Guyanese, and waited until The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruled that the motion of no confidence of December 21, 2018 was validly passed. Worse followed, as the country had to wait until another nine months for the elections to be run off, and knowing full well that they lost, APNU-AFC refused to demit office, and instead meandered into futile court battles for another five months.

Thus I am glad that Anil Nandlall touched on the eighty legal battles that marred the holding and the subsequent final results of the 2020 Regional and General Elections. He also reminded all about the iniquitous “…unilateral appointment made by former President David Granger of Chairman of the Guy- ana Elections Commission Ret’d Justice James Patterson. That too was rebuffed by the CCJ, and must be added to the records for progeny.

Now, since there is no need for me to rehash what we all know, and what are being confirmed in the ongoing inquiry, let me close with two comments. First, I really hope that after the misbehaviour of the now Opposition members and their allies are yet again established, and the final report of the findings are submitted, the ruling PPP/C Government would ensure that the occurrence of what took place would be placed in the annals of our political history and be placed in every possible place of access. This ‘attempted rigging’ is too seminal to be left to chance. In fact, a specialised documentary should be produced. It may be costly and time consuming, but it will be worth it all.

Secondly, let me remind readers that this commission of inquiry is a tool to take note of. It is enabling this necessary investigation of a matter of great public concern and in a public forum other than in an ordinary court. Commissions, after all, are aimed at encouraging transparency through fact-finding, and providing input for future investigation or criminal proceedings, if necessary. Commissions of inquiry are normally empowered to gather evidence through investigations, including entering and searching premises, requesting written statements under oath, as well as oral evidence given in a public hearing.

And so far, the proceedings have been fair and balanced, as it is essential that the public have as much information about the proceedings as possible, commensurate with the proper conduct of the hearings and the interests of the parties involved. The role of the media is important too, as, in matters of this sort, there must be transparency and accountability.

Yours truly, H. Singh

Caribbean will remain a zone of peace, tranquillity, free and fair elections

Dear Editor,

The CoI set up by President Irfaan Ali has just concluded its hearings, and will soon write up a report. That report will bear evidence that the PNC-led Coalition was on a brazen and unashamed course to rig the March 2020 General and Regional Elections. That document would bear multiple instances when the PNC took every available platform at their disposal to forge an illegitimate win for the party. They even petitioned the courts on numerous occasions to validate that fraud, all to no avail.

Minister Oneidge Walrond summed it up in her 2023 Budget Debate speech: that when we thought that rigging was a thing of the past, we were sadly mistaken, because the sordid events surrounding March 2020 and beyond had proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the plan to rig was alive and well.

But, like I said, those plans were defeated by a determined PPP/C and the International Community, which saw to it that such a bold attack on democracy could not take a foothold here in Guyana. That affront that was brought on the people of Guyana had to be put in its place immediately, so that democracy could have a breath of fresh air again.

The same principle was applied when the people of Grenada were violently assaulted by persons who were keen on obtaining