Jagdeo will support extending date for elections if Gov’t agrees to proposals

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has informed President David Granger that the Parliamentary Opposition is prepared to lend its support for the two-thirds majority required by the Constitution to extend the deadline for general and regional elections beyond March 21, 2019.

Mr Jagdeo Monday officially responded to the President’s invitation to meet on Wednesday, March 6 to discuss preparations for the elections, which was triggered one year early with the passage of the December 21 No-Confidence motion against the coalition government in the National Assembly.

The Opposition Leader made it clear that he will only attend the March 6 meeting if the Head of State agrees to place the following issues on the agenda for discussion:

• The date of the general and regional elections to be held before the expiration of the present voters’ list on April 30, 2019;

• No new contracts to be awarded by the State, including Regional Democratic Councils, and, State-owned corporations after March 21, 2019;

• No new agreements, loans, grants, land leases, or any other such agreements or contracts after March 21, 2019, that bind Government;

• No abuse of State resources for partisan activities/purposes;

• Access to the State-owned media by all the contesting political parties

In his response, the Opposition Leader was explicit that the Parliamentary Opposition will only lend its support to extend the March 21 deadline if the Government agrees to the proposals set out above.

“…I believe that my proposal to hold general and regional elections before April 30, 2019, is reasonable and feasible with a claims and objections period, provided that GECOM acts in good faith and in conformity with its mandate and the Constitution.”

“If my proposal finds favour with the President, I shall be prepared to meet him on March 6, 2019, at 11:00 a.m or at any other time.

“However, time is of the essence, March 21, 2019, when the Government becomes unconstitutional, is fast approaching,” Mr Jagdeo concluded in his response to the President.”

Jagdeo had initially stated that he will not support an extension to the March 21 deadline.