President meets diplomatic community

President David Granger on Thursday addressed members of the Diplomatic community at State House, his official residence, on the “political situation” in the country.

President Granger’s Government was toppled in a No Confidence motion of December 21, 2018, and while immediately acknowledging it was defeated and elections needed to be called in three months, the Government challenged the passage of the motion in the courts.

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the country’s final appellate court, on June 18 ruled that the legal challenge put the constitutional implications on pause but these were triggered with its ruling.

As a result, elections are now constitutionally due by September 18. But the Government Commissioners on the Guyana Elections Commission, and the chairman unilaterally appointed by the President, a decision deemed constitutionally flawed by the CCJ, agreed to a national house to house registration process to create a new voters list that would push elections way past the deadline, even into next year.

After the CCJ issued consequential orders on its decision, the US Ambassador along with the British High Commissioner and the Head of the European Union urged “all invoked actors” to abide by the “relevant provisions” of Guyana’s constitution following the consequential orders handed down by the Caribbean Court of Justice on the December 21, 2018, No Confidence Motion.

“The Caribbean Court of Justice – Guyana’s Supreme Court – has spoken. It is important for the rule of law that all invoked actors abide by its ruling and the relevant provisions of the Constitution. We urge everyone to do so expeditiously,” the joint communique from the diplomats stated.

Following the July 12 orders of the CCJ, the Government on Saturday accepted that it is an ‘interim’ Government but insisted that it will still hold Cabinet meetings to provide public services.