THE Main Opposition coalition, ‘A Partnership for National Unity’ (APNU), with support from the Alliance For Change (AFC), has planned a massive protest action for today, beginning at noon, to register its objection to the decision to prorogue Parliament.

President Donald Ramotar announced his decision to prorogue Parliament in an address to the nation on Monday. To prorogue Parliament means in essence that the current session is suspended up to a maximum of six months – a move that is provided for in Section 70 (1) of Guyana’s Constitution.

‘I hope good sense prevails…(but) we have experienced those things before’ – President Donald Ramotar

The Head of State also made it clear that his intention was to give dialogue a chance to address the impasses that have invaded the political arena since the 2011 elections, rather than have Parliament dissolved, as promised by the combined opposition via the Alliance For Change-sponsored no-confidence motion.

Despite the President’s expressed intentions, APNU has made clear that it will move ahead with its protest rally, which will be held at the Square of the Revolution today. The action has been billed as a ‘Rally for the restoration of Democracy’.

The main speaker will be Leader of the Opposition, Brigadier (rtd.) David Granger, but there will also be presentations by representatives from the Alliance For Change (AFC), the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), the Guyana Action Party (GAP), the National Front Alliance (NFA), and from religious and civic leaders.

“President Ramotar has insulted the entire nation with his menacing remarks and his prorogation of the Parliament of Guyana. The President has no grounds for his crude intrusion into the domain of parliamentary independence and for flouting the Constitution,” APNU said in a statement.

PROMISE OF PEACE
Brigadier (rtd) Granger, the Leader of the Opposition, has assured of a peaceful protest, and has called on the Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Brigadier Mark Phillips, and Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud not to be “drawn into any unlawful actions” against law-abiding citizens.

APNU has issued a statement reminding the Chief of Staff and the Commissioner of Police that the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, at Article 147, protects a citizen’s right to “…freedom of assembly, association, and freedom to demonstrate peacefully. That [is] to say, his or her right to assemble freely, to demonstrate peacefully, and to associate with other persons and in particular to form or belong to political parties, trade unions, or other associations for the protection of his or her interests.”

‘I would be surprised if all hell does not break loose in the streets before that time by the frustrated masses spontaneously reacting to the PPP/C’s lawlessness. The PPP/C is provoking protests…what we are being led into could be terrible, it could be horrific; when you do what you are doing, you are playing with fire and more fire’
–- AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan

“All members of the defence forces and disciplined services are required to behave in a professional manner in the performance of their duties. They are to ensure that the law is enforced and the Constitution is upheld,” Granger stressed.

FEARS SURFACE
Despite Granger’s assurance of peaceful protests, his call on the leaders of the security forces “not to be drawn into any unlawful actions” against law-abiding citizens and the occurrences during past protest actions have fuelled fears in several sections of Guyanese society, including the private sector.

Adding further fuel to the proverbial fire is the fact that leaders from both APNU and AFC have subtly hinted at possible trouble on Monday, during a meeting with the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Raphael Trotman, in the National Assembly’s Chambers.

A Facebook post by APNU, made yesterday, is being viewed as an indication of unrest, and is simultaneously being seen as a cop-out by the political party to avoid responsibility for any unrest that may be caused by the party’s protest.

The post read: “We have to be aware and be careful in our country now and even at this stage where we also have to protect our Indian brothers and sisters in their villages, since these people are capable of starting a massacre so as to throw blame on others.”

Comments made by APNU Member of Parliament (MP) Mr Carl Greenidge on Monday have also raised eyebrows. “When King Charles in 1929 had prorogued his Parliament, I don’t think he anticipated that route he was setting out on….He lost his head directly as a result of proroguing,” Greenidge said, making what has since been deemed a troubling reference.

AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan, at Monday’s meeting, instigated that the Government should not be surprised if Guyanese respond violently to President Donald Ramotar’s decision to prorogue Parliament. He has since been quoted as saying that he would be surprised if “all hell does not break loose in the streets before that time by the frustrated masses spontaneously reacting to the PPP/C’s lawlessness. The PPP/C is provoking protests.”

He added that “What we are being led into could be terrible, it could be horrific…(when you [the Government] do what you are doing), you are playing with fire and more fire.”

Additional evidence of the fears of possible unrest have been seen in the warnings and notices issued by several embassies and consulates to their citizens. The Georgetown Embassy of the United States of America (USA) was the latest to warn its citizens to avoid being in the area where the demonstrations are scheduled to occur.

APPEAL TO GOOD SENSE
Meanwhile, President Donald Ramotar, in an invited comment on Wednesday, told the Guyana Chronicle that he hopes “good sense prevails” moving forward.
“I hope good sense prevails… (but) we have experienced those things before”, Ramotar insisted, when asked about the expectations of unrest during today’s protest.

While the last two elections, 2011 and 2006, have been peaceful, unrests in Guyana have been the result of political tensions as recent as 2001. The polls of 2001, 1997 and 1992 saw incidents of violence quickly escalate into angry public protests and retaliation.