Dear Editor
THE Constitution of Guyana, Chapter 1:01 of the Laws of Guyana is the supreme law. Article 106 of the said constitution provides for the law governing “No confidence.” Article 106 (6) provides that ‘the cabinet and the President shall resign if the government is defeated by a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly.’ In the current situation before us today, the somewhat moot point focuses on the word majority.

The no-confidence motion moved by the opposition received thirty three (33) of the votes of the elected sixty five (65) members of the National Assembly. And this is not a majority vote required by this article. Therefore, the effect of this article cannot be brought into operation by the mere thirty three (33) votes of the elected members of the National Assembly, since it is not a majority vote as required by the article.

Further, in examining the law of mathematics in this scenario where there are sixty five (65) elected members of the National Assembly, one half of its members will be thirty two point five (32.5). In rounding off one half of the elected members of the National Assembly will be thirty three (33). As a result, thirty three (33) is not a majority to call into operation the effect of article 106 (6).

Regards
Amoura Giddings
Attorney-at-Law, Business and Management Consultant
Dip. Accountancy, Bsc. Management (Hons), LLB (Hons), LEC