President to address nation on elections Wednesday night

President David Granger will address the nation Wednesday night regarding general elections, more than nine months after his Government was toppled in a No Confidence motion that required elections in three months.

“His Excellency David Granger, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana today met with his Cabinet and discussed the issue of holding of credible General and Regional elections in Guyana at the earliest possible time.

“President Granger will address the nation tomorrow evening at a time to be advised,” the Department of Public Information said Tuesday.

The President has repeatedly said he was anxious to name a date for elections but was awaiting advice from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). The Chair of the Commission gave him that advice last Thursday, but the President said he was waiting to discuss the letter with his Cabinet before speaking about it.

The announcement from the DPI comes as international pressure mounts, with the 53-nation Commonwealth, the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States having deemed the Government unconstitutional.

Guyana’s highest court of appeal, the Caribbean Court of Justice, had on July 12 stated that it was not its duty to pronounce on an elections date, since the timeline in the Constitution is clearly laid out.

The Constitution at Article 106 (6) and (7) mandates elections in three months after a No Confidence motion is passed.