OAS Calls for Suspended Parliament in Guyana to be Resumed in "Shortest Possible Time"

Statement of the OAS Secretary General on the Prorogation of Parliament in Guyana

OAS SEcretary General

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Jose Miguel Insulza, took note of Proclamation No. 1 of 2014, dated November 10, 2014, in which President Donald Ramotar prorogued the Tenth Parliament of Guyana with immediate effect for a maximum period of six months and observed that the prorogation of the Parliament of Guyana issued by President Ramotar has occurred within the framework of the country’s constitution.

The head of the hemispheric Organization stated that, in a democracy, an efficient functioning of the Parliament allows for checks and balances and for the voice of the people to be heard. Since the last elections in November 2011, Guyana has had a split governance system with the executive controlled by one party and the combined opposition having the majority in Parliament.

This situation presents both challenges and opportunities for all parties in Guyana to work together for the greater good of the country. In light of this reality the Secretary General of the OAS urges both the governing and opposition political parties to redouble their efforts to reach an understanding and compromise on the major political and socio-economic issues facing the country.

Secretary General Insulza also said he hoped that parliamentary debate could be resumed in the 10th Parliament in the shortest possible period of time.

THE DARKEST DAY FOR DEMOCRACY IN GUYANA-David Granger APNU Leader

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION
HON. BRIGADIER DAVID A. GRANGER, MP
Monday 10th November 2014

THE DARKEST DAY FOR DEMOCRACY IN GUYANA

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) is enraged at President Donald Ramotar’s promulgation of a proclamation to prorogue parliament on Monday 10th November 2014. This is the darkest day for democracy in Guyana.

This ‘Proclamation’ has effectively paralysed the parliamentary process and smothered the voices of the people’s legitimate representatives in the National Assembly. It is an affront to the Guyanese people who three years ago, in November 2011, voted for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC) to have the majority of seats in the National Assembly.

President Ramotar has now single-handedly engineered a constitutional crisis. The main purposes of the ‘Proclamation’ are to allow the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) to avoid parliamentary scrutiny while it attempts to:

• prevent debate on the Opposition ‘no-confidence’ motion;
• prevent the holding of local government elections;
• prevent debate on financial excesses and impropriety;
• protect the reputations of his Ministers from parliamentary sanction;
• permit the PPP’s campaign for general and regional elections to proceed;
• permit the continued expenditure of state funds without parliamentary scrutiny.

President Donald Ramotar -Guyana

The President’s ‘Proclamation’ to prorogue parliament is a challenge to the entire nation. He has no grounds for his crude smothering of parliamentary independence.

APNU will not accept this denial of democracy and will not be intimidated by the PPP/C’s dictatorial behaviour.

Hon. David Granger-Opposition Leader Guyana

APNU is resolved to resist the President’s ‘Proclamation’. APNU calls on all the good people of Guyana everywhere to join in a civil movement for the restoration of parliamentary democracy by peacefully resisting the PPP/C’s resort to dictatorship and to call for the revocation of this ‘Proclamation’. — with Hon David Arthur Granger.

APNU CONDEMNS THE SACKING OF UNIVERSITY LECTURER

A Partnership for National Unity has condemned the termination of the contract of outspoken political scientist and newspaper columnist Frederick Kissoon with the University of Guyana. APNU regards the action as a violation of academic freedom and press freedom.

The People’s Progressive Party Civic administration used its voting power on the UG Council to terminate the lecturer’s contract in the middle of an academic year, a few months before it would have come up for review. APNU regards this recent act as a violation of Kissoon’s right to freedom of expression as a columnist, academic freedom as a lecturer and civil rights as a citizen. 

APNU said that this move has come at a time when the University of Guyana is already in crisis and has been finding it difficult to attract lecturers in several academic departments. The Partnership said that Mr. Kissoon has a natural right to be informed of the reasons for the termination of his contract and called for the lecturer’s re-instatement.

APNU has closely monitored the PPPC’s hostile attitude towards columnists and journalists who criticized President Bharrat Jagdeo over the past 12 years.  The Partnership expressed regret that, so early in his tenure as President, Mr Donald Ramotar would take such a retrograde step by allowing such an incident to occur.