Georgetown – All the signs are there indicating that in one month’s time, Guyana will be without a legitimate government.
This catastrophic development can only be averted if, prior to March 21, 2019, the President takes steps to invite the Leader of the Opposition in order to extend the deadline for holding elections which is mandated by the constitution to be held on that date.
The election imperative became necessary because of the December 21st, 2018 no-confidence motion in Parliament by the Opposition that was successfully passed. It was also upheld by the High Court on January 31st, 2019 when the outcome of the motion was challenged by the defeated government.
Whereas the constitution requires that the government resign and hold elections within 90 days of that no-confidence vote, the administration is defying both the constitution and the ruling of the High Court by ostensibly refusing to resign or to take action to ensure that the elections deadline is met.

In the meantime, the government has moved to the Guyana Court of Appeal (whose ruling is due today, Wednesday, Feb 20) but has vowed to challenge any ruling that it considers unfavourable to the highest level, meaning the Caribbean Court of Justice.
In all of this, the government’s expressed position that “until the matter is concluded at the highest court of appeal the status quo remains and the business of government continues as usual,” is an erosion of the constitution which clearly denies the government any such status.
In fact, the Attorney General’s application to the High Court for a Conservatory Order preserving the “status quo ante” was expressly denied by the Chief Justice rendering the the government’s holding on to power patently illegal.
Adding more weight to the impending constitutional imbroglio is a report that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) cannot make the 90-day timeline and that it needs money for elections by appropriations which means it will continue operating as normal and not step up activities as would be expected if it goes into elections mode.
That GECOM has taken this position is no surprise as that body is tilted the government’s way by virtue of having a majority on the Commission.
The question of appropriations raises a curious conundrum: only Parliament has the power to make the appropriations, but resulting from the no-confidence motion, Parliament cannot sit unless President Granger invites the Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo to talk elections and the way forward.
While the relevant articles of the Constitution prescribe that the Cabinet, including the President, shall resign if the government is defeated in a no-confidence vote, the Cabinet has been reportedly meeting in what Minister of State Joseph Harmon has described as “ministerial plenary.”
Harmon said that the plenary, includes “all of the ministers.” He maintains that the no-confidence motion notwithstanding, the executive is legally functioning. He would not commit to a timeframe for the next sitting of the National Assembly.

Toronto – Roopesh Rajkumar has been charged with first-degree murder after his 11-year-old daughter, Riya, was found dead in the basement of his Brampton home.
Riya was abducted by her father when he was supposed to be taking her out for her birthday on February 14. Tragically, Riya’s mother was meant to celebrate a joint birthday with her daughter that night as the two were born on the same date, but the girl never returned home.
After Roopesh Rajkumar, 41, the boy friend of Riya’s mother, who has joint custody of the girl, had not returned her, an Amber Alert was sent out resulting in his arrest by OPP officers near Orillia.
Rajkumar, had reportedly sent several concerning messages to Riya’s mother in which he threatened to harm both Riya and himself. Made aware of the threats, Police launched an investigation and located the father and the missing girl’s lifeless body in her father’s apartment.
After he was captured, Rajkumar was taken to hospital with a medical condition which turned out to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was charged when he was medically cleared. He will be making a court appearance once his doctors say he is well enough.
Riya was remembered by her grieving family, friends and community members at a candlelight vigil in a park near her elementary school last Saturday evening. Another vigil organized by a Brampton city councillor took place yesterday (Tuesday) at ET at Garden Square.
A funeral service for Riya is scheduled for 9 a.m. today (Wednesday) at Lotus Funeral and Cremation Centre Inc. at 121 City View Drive in Etobicoke.