Back to Business!

― First Cabinet meeting 2019

DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Today marked the first cabinet meeting since the start of 2019. Following the vote of December 21.  The Cabinet had taken a brief hiatus as the vote passed through the necessary judicial process, finally being overturned on Friday, March 22, 2019, in the Court of Appeal, allowing for things to return to normalcy.

Prime Minister and first Vice President of Guyana, Moses Nagamootoo, had a few words to share prior to today’s meeting.

“We have maintained that the judiciary has an important role to play, and the fact that the Court of Appeal by a majority decision has found that the no-confidence motion has fallen, the government continues to do business for which it has been elected and so we are assured by the decision of the court of appeal that there is need for review of decisions of the lower court,” the Prime Minister Nagamootoo said.

Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally, shared her view on the decision of the leader of the opposition to boycott parliamentary proceedings.

“The leader of the opposition is accustomed to boycotting everything…  I am saying that it is not new for him to say that he is boycotting parliament. However, we are now restored to normalcy, we are going to go on, business must go on, the government’s business must go on and we are not about to let Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP stop us in any way. We will be going to parliament and we will be dealing with matters of governance in the interest of the people of Guyana.”

The Education Minister, Dr Nicolette Henry was simply happy to return to the government’s work.

“I am elated to know that we can meet again as a cabinet and be able to move on with the work that we have to get done, there is so much work to get done and we just need to ensure that it’s done.”

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, gave his take on the ability of the government to make decisions in the absence of the cabinet meeting.

“I don’t know that there were any decisions that could not have been taken previously, the Chief Justice did say, and the constitution says that a president remains extant at all times, except when an election takes place, in the absence of an election a new president cant go in place and once there is an existing president in place then… it is the president who is advised by his ministers. So, it is not a question of the cabinet, as it were, not being able to take any decision.”

On Friday last, the Guyana Court of Appeal ruled that the opposition’s motion of no-confidence was not validly carried in the National Assembly, as it fell one vote short of the required absolute majority.

By a majority decision, the Court of Appeal set aside the ruling of the lower court and restored the status quo of legitimacy to the APNU+AFC Coalition Government, which was popularly elected for a five-year term on May 11, 2015.

Nikosi Bruce

Image: Guyana Chronicle