— says prime minister, attorney general

THE High Court action taken by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) seeking to quash President David Granger’s appointment of retired Justice James Patterson as chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has not impeded the work of the Commission, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said on Thursday.

Speaking during a live televised interview on the National Communications Network (NCN), in the presence of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Basil Williams, Prime Minister Nagamootoo said the work of the Commission will go on.
“It is not going to stop the work of the Elections Commission (and) it is not going to stop the work of the Government,” the prime minister told the moderator, Beverly Alert.
In filing the High Court action, the PPP has argued that the presidential appointment of Justice Patterson is unconstitutional, unlawful, illegal, null and void and of no effect, and as such, the appointment should be revoked.
Though it respects the right of the Opposition to move the court, Government has made it clear that the President’s decision was in keeping with Article 161 of the Constitution, and is of legal effect.

“The court action is part and parcel of the constitutional order, part and parcel of the democratic process, part and parcel of the separation of power,” the prime minister noted.
“We cannot be intimidated if you exercise your right to respect the separation of power and you choose to go to one of the arms of the State for adjudication, that is what the court is there for, so we will meet it on its merit, even if it is on its dis-merit but we will meet it,” he further added.
That aside, the attorney general said the PPP in filing the High Court action presented fabricated information, in attempted to argue that Justice Patterson is an affiliate of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) – the party that forms a major part of the coalition Government.

Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, in response to President Granger’s appointment of Justice Patterson as Chairman of GECOM had threatened that the Opposition will take a non-cooperative approach towards then Government at the local, national and regional levels. Jagdeo had also announced that the Opposition would also withdraw its participation from the National Borders Commission – an announcement that has received widespread criticism.

Prime Minister Nagamootoo said the announcement comes at a time when the country cannot afford to have fragmentation. According to him, the Opposition Leader’s decision is nothing short of treacherous.
“Abandonment of a national duty to send an expression of unity in the face of an enemy that our border comes first, our country comes first, our territory comes first, our sovereignty comes first, you indicated because you got a little grouse over the selection of a person to be the Elections Commission Chairperson, you got grouse against your country and you will pull out from the borders commission? That is treacherous!” the prime minister said.

Weighing in on the issue of non-cooperation, the attorney general said he was surprised when the three PPP nominees for the Local Government Commission (LGC), Carol Sooba, Clinton Collymore, and Norman Whittaker, appeared at State House to be sworn in by President Granger days after Jagdeo had issued his threats.
However, Minister Williams made it clear that people are not heeding to the calls of the Opposition.