Silly Season for Scandals – PM Nagamootoo

– GECOM has “general direction and supervision” over all elections

– Opposition is wrongly insisting that monies have already been allocated for Regional and General Elections

DPI, Guyana, Sunday, March 3, 2019

“Silly season for scandals has returned, and the image of the foul-mouthed politician has returned from a period when Jagdeo himself had invented “cuss-down politics.”

Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo stated this in his ‘My Turn’ column published in this week’s Guyana Chronicle Sunday edition.

In his column, the Prime Minister explained that during a recent news conference by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo,

“it is clear that the former president is momentarily disoriented by charges against him of misuse of state resources, and the many counts of fraud and sleaze against several of his ministers. But this is no time to play the silly game of catch- up by accusing the sitting President with fraudulent conduct.”

The Prime Minister brought the facts out noting that it appears that the noises made by the Leader of the Opposition were in response to two letters sent by President David Granger to Retired Justice James Patterson, Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on February 25, 2019.

“That letter was in response to the Chairman, who is on record as saying:-
(1) The Elections Commission does not have the capability to deliver credible General and Regional Elections (GRE) by March 21, 2019 – just one month away;
(2) Additional funds are needed by GECOM to hold these elections; and
(3) The National Assembly has to make provision for allocation of the necessary funds.

President Granger acted politically correct as a statesman should. He assured the Chairman that:

(a) the Government of Guyana is committed to doing everything possible to ensure that the Commission is provided with the financial resources needed and that;

(b) the Commission has sufficient time to conduct credible elections,” Prime Minister Nagamootoo penned.

According to him, in that letter, the President also urged the commission to commence preparations for the conduct of General and Regional Elections.
Under Guyana’s Constitution, Prime Minister Nagamootoo explained, it is the Elections Commission that has “general direction and supervision” overall elections of members of the National Assembly. This responsibility includes registration of electors and the administrative arrangements for the elections. (See Article 161 (1) (a) of the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana).

To hold elections beyond March 21, the Prime Minister also pointed out, requires approval by the National Assembly of a resolution supported by a two-thirds majority.

“Our Constitution provides that no monies could be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund without the recommendation or consent of the Cabinet. (Article 171 (2) (ii). If the ruling of the Chief Justice (ag) were to be followed, then Cabinet has been “resigned” effective from December 21, 2018!”

The Prime Minister also noted that it is reasonable to suggest that both the Government and the Opposition are fully aware of this legal conundrum.

The Opposition, Prime Minister stressed, is wrongly insisting that monies have already been allocated for Regional and General Elections.

“According to its new legal eagle, Gail Teixeira, a lump sum of $5,371,061,000 was approved by the National Assembly on November 16, 2018. She argued in her characteristic dogmatic, inflexible, Stalinist manner, that GECOM could lawfully use up the lump sum to prepare for, and hold elections by March 21, 2019.”

Prime Minister Nagamootoo said the lump sum was not voted for the holding of elections. Citing a Stabroek News article on November 28, under the headline, ‘Gov’t budgets $2.9B for 2020 poll preparations’  he said it quoted the finance minister as saying that of the $5.4Billion for GECOM, “2.9 will be for the preparation of the 2020 General and Regional elections”. No mention was made that that sum or any other sums were for holding of elections.

The Prime Minister observed that it is time the opposition leaders move away from that culture of fiscal lawlessness that had led the PPP administration to spend billions of taxpayers’ money without the approval of parliament, and also in defiance of objections by the National Assembly.

More than ever, he emphasised, sober statesmanship, not scandal-mongering, is needed.

Rebecca Ganesh

Image: Department of Public Information

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