SECRETARY to the Cabinet, Dr. Roger Luncheon yesterday dismissed the idea that snap elections would be the likely outcome of the Alliance For Change (AFC) piloted No-Confidence Motion in the Government. 

“It wouldn’t happen. A snap election, as being mooted in elements, the media and elsewhere, that seeks to almost bypass, pre-empt the outcome of the Parliamentary Opposition’s No-Confidence motion by having a snap elections, I’m saying you can forget that. This administration does not propose to engage in such a futile course of action,” Luncheon said.
He was addressing his usual post-Cabinet news conference at the Office of the President, in Georgetown. The AFC’s No-Confidence Motion was formally handed over last August to Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, by the party’s General-Secretary, David Patterson.
The Motion was proposed by AFC Vice-Chairman, Moses Nagamootoo and seconded by AFC Executive Member, Cathy Hughes. The first page of the document reads: “Be it resolved that this National Assembly has no confidence in the Government.”
Meanwhile, Luncheon said Cabinet continued its discussion on the “uncertainties” that prevailed as it concerns the electoral issues of the day. “It was Cabinet’s contention, and one strongly felt, that despite the notion of uncertainty that seemingly exists and is being pandered to out there that both the administration and the political Opposition know precisely and are clear in their minds about what is said to be uncertain.
“It is Cabinet’s contention that both General Elections and Local Government Elections cannot be held at the same time and therefore the decision on the primary attention to be given to either is essentially the basis for the uncertainty.
“But both the administration and the political Opposition are well aware of those factors that would provide the information that will allow either party, either side to be more inclined to have local government as opposed to general elections as the primary electoral event in any electoral calendar.
“In essence, whilst there may very well be uncertainty, it is Cabinet’s contention that really the decision as to whether it is local government elections or it is general elections, either one, definitely not both, that decision and the factors that contribute to that decision is in the possession of all sides,” Luncheon stated.
He said Cabinet is still awaiting Leader of the Opposition, David Granger’s response to the request for clarity on his recent ultimatum to President Donald Ramotar. “Essentially for Mr. Granger to put in writing in the same vein as his correspondence to the President outlining September 15 as the drop-dead date for declaring local government elections and the date for such and in the face of APNU’s renewed commitment to the No- Confidence motion which if all things remain equal and the parliamentary Opposition remains connected, committed to the result of that motion, general elections in three months is inevitable after the resolution, the passage of that motion.
“Mr. Granger has not yet put pen to paper and attempted a response to the President’s request, but Cabinet did note efforts in the media displayed prominently in the media and in our communities of a character that seem to suggest APNU intends to have their cake and eat it, that on the face both local government elections they are the champions and they are party with AFC in a No-Confidence motion in the Ramotar administration,” Luncheon said.
According to him, the PPP/C administration saw two developments for which it was appreciative. “One has to do with the extension of the Claims and Objections Period which was extended on the request by the PPP and the second one, more recently, in response to the argument by the PPP/C that there needed to be more confidence among stakeholders in the electoral process and that confidence had to be cultivated by GECOM in its electoral readiness and preparedness. Cabinet was appreciative of the pledges made by the delegation from the European Union to, by November 1, have in office assuming functions in the IT section in GECOM and a joint international technical assessor to overview a sort of an expanded internal electoral observer. Those two interventions by GECOM in association with donors, Cabinet had and Cabinet expressed its appreciation.”
From the Government’s perspective, Luncheon said local government elections that fall outside of an equal commitment to that demanded by the parliamentary Opposition from GECOM is not a healthy way to start.
“And we are thinking that the parliamentary Opposition with three members on the electoral commission may very well find it useful to advise the nation on their own understanding of GECOM’s preparedness and readiness for local government as opposed to General and Regional Elections.
“We know that, that information is available and actually quite willing to provide information to suggest GECOM is perhaps much more prepared where general elections are concerned than for local government elections.”