Jagdeo fears constitutional changes alone are not enough, assures Gov’t committed to reforms
A new Constitution Reform Commission is in place to herald in changes to the supreme law of Guyana and though the government is committed to the reforms expected, Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo said Thursday that such changes alone are not enough to safeguard the country from an abuse of power as seen just a few years ago.
Dr. Jagdeo recalled the last reform process, done in the late 1990s, which brought about several key changes to Guyana’s governance landscape. Many of those introductions, the Vice President said, are still among the most progressive reforms in the region.
But as he spoke at his weekly press conference, held at the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) ‘Freedom House’ headquarters in Georgetown, Jagdeo said those changes did not stop the PNC-led APNU+AFC Coalition from abusing power while in office.
One example of how the Constitution was defied, Jagdeo said, was the appointment of Justice James Patterson as the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
“We used a formula for 25 years and then Granger came into the office, he defied the constitution… as to how the constitution should be applied in relation to the appointment of Chair of GECOM.
“He changed the constitution’s interpretation, in fact he defied it, and he unilaterally appointed the Chairman of GECOM,” Jagdeo said.
The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Guyana’s apex court, eventually ruled that Granger was in breach of the Constitution when he unilaterally appointed Justice James Patterson on October 19, 2017. Patterson was made to walk, paving the way for Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh to be appointed Chairperson of the Commission after consultation between Granger and Jagdeo, who Leader of the Opposition at the time.
Reflecting on this, Jagdeo lamented, “It is not just constitutional provisions that matter…. Everyone understood the method (of appointing the GECOM Chairperson) but you had a government that defied that. So how do you prevent a party from rigging elections or not complying with the constitution?”
He also highlighted that the APNU+AFC’s defiance of the Constitution manifested in the party’s occupation of office for several months after it had been defeated by a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly. The motion succeeded in December 2018 but General and Regional Elections were only held until March 2020, after widespread protests and litigation.
Now, however, Jagdeo said the PPP/C government backs widespread consultations for the reform of the Constitution through the diverse 20-member commission appointed on Wednesday by President Dr. Irfaan Ali.
“… it is for the people to decide what they want, not political parties that will serve their peculiar interest.
“We are not going to be captured by partisan agendas in this,” Jagdeo said.
