THE ultimatum issued to President Donald Ramotar by Mr. David Granger, Leader of the main Opposition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), ends today.

Granger, in a letter dated September 9, threatened the “mobilization of national and international support” if a date for the holding of Local Government Elections is not set on or before Monday, September 15, 2014.
However, President Ramotar is holding fast to his position, in that he needs for Granger “to clarify what precisely” is his Party’s position before he can “properly respond” to his letter, since he, Granger, was saying one thing, and his Party another.
Before the ultimatum, the APNU had made clear its support for the Alliance For Change (AFC)’s no-confidence motion, which, if passed with majority support, could see Guyana heading to an early general elections.
In his reply, by letter, to Mr Granger last Thursday, President Ramotar acknowledged receipt of his letter, but asked him to be a bit more specific as to what his Party wanted.

Said the President, “Unfortunately, the position represented in your letter, and the positions expressed by your Party after my receipt of your letter are both ambiguous and contradictory. In the circumstances, before I can properly respond to your letter, I wish for you to clarify what precisely is your Party’s position.”
The President also reminded Mr Granger that while his views, as leader of the main Opposition, are important to Guyana’s democratic equation, all matters relating to the fixing of the date for elections, both local as well as national, remain within the preserve and prerogative of the Executive, a fact that Mr. Granger himself acknowledged in his own letter.
“Please be assured,” he said, “that there is no need to remind me about upholding the Constitution of the Republic of Guyana, and about the importance of democracy, as the track record of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic administration is one that has always defended, advocated and promoted constitutionality, the rule of law, and democracy at every level in our country.”
Local government elections have not been held in Guyana since 1994. Prior to that, local government elections were last held in 1970. Subsequent to 1994, the elections could not be conducted because of the coincidence with the general and regional elections of 1997. Additionally, the House passed the Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) Bill 2013, which states that elections must be held on or before August 1, 2014. The August date was made via an amendment to the Bill, proposed by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), while the House was in Committee. However, this bill has not been assented to by the Head of State.