GUYANESE are looking at 106 days until the current political impasse, which has gripped the nation for the last three years, comes to an end.

May 11, 2015 is Elections Day, a much anticipated announcement that was made by President Donald Ramotar on Tuesday.

The return to General and Regional elections come more than a year earlier than it was due, the last elections having been held in November 2011.
Since the announcement, comments in support of the announcement, concerns about the timing and political overtones have been bandied about.

GECOM READY
Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Dr. Steve Surujbally, following the Head of State’s announcement, made it clear that the Commission is ready to move forward “full throttle.”

In an interview via telephone, he told the Guyana Chronicle: “Now that we have a date we can go full throttle. Our action plan will kick into operation.”
The Commission was been engaged by President Ramotar, prior to his announcement to gauge its state of readiness.
“Meetings were also held with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to emphasise the need for their readiness for holding free, fair, transparent and efficient elections…I am advised that GECOM would be in a state of readiness for these polls on that date,” Ramotar said.
Dr. Surujbally confirmed this, stressing that the Commission has a framework in place to facilitate the conduct of elections.
Within the framework, there are various statutory and administrative requirements, which must be completed and are relevant to the efficient management and conduct of

general and regional elections.

PPP MACHINERY WELL-OILED
Meanwhile, the announcement of May 11 as Elections Day prompted the governing People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) to reiterate its readiness to head to the polls and regain its majority in the National Assembly.“
.“The PPP welcomes the much anticipated announcement of Elections Day 2015…the Party is ready and steady for these elections,” said the PPP General Secretary, Mr. Clement Rohee, in a statement.

According to him, the Party’s machinery is “well-oiled” and its members, supporters and well-wishers are in the “mood” for a return to the poll – an undertaking that is expected to end the current political impasse.
“They are about to be afflicted by elections fever now that May 11th has been announced as ‘E’ Day. The Party will be going to these elections with a spirit of optimism and confidence,” he declared.
Rohee said the PPP will “exert every effort” to continue the long-standing Party tradition of achieving victory at the Polls as it did since 1957, save for the period from 1968

to 1992 when the Guyanese people’s democratic right to elect a Government of their choice was stolen from them by the People’s National Congress (PNC).
“The people won back that right in 1992 and Guyana was once again placed firmly on the path to social and economic progress, coupled with the upholding of the political, civil and cultural rights of all Guyanese people,” Rohee said.
Consequently, the PPP General Secretary issued a call to all Guyanese to rally behind the winning symbol of the “Cup” to ensure that progress continues and the gains made to date are consolidated.

APNU/AFC IN TALKS
In the Opposition camp, A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) has established a seven member committee to negotiate with the Alliance For Change (AFC) in exploring the establishment of a pre-election coalition.
Confirmation came through none-other than Leader of the combined Opposition Brigadier (rtd) David Granger who, following the announcement of an election date by President Donald Ramotar, yesterday, commented that while it was long overdue it is indeed welcomed.
The two political parties have since indicated that they will need another month to iron out details and arrive at a definitive position in relation to any pre-election coalition, to challenge the incumbent People’s Progressive Party/Civic at the May 11 General and Regional Elections.

PROCLAMATIONS
Additionally, once the signed Elections Proclamation is gazetted the dissolution of Parliament and other statutory and administrative requirements for the hosting of General and Regional Elections will follow.
Concerns over why the dissolution of Parliament, which currently stands prorogued, have been bandied about since President Ramotar’s announcement of May 11 as Elections Day.
However, Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, made it clear that the two announcements do not have to be made simultaneously.
“There is absolutely no obligation on the President to dissolve Parliament at the same time when a date for National Elections is announced,” he told the Guyana Chronicle in an invited comment.
Nandlall explained that the two announcements can be made together, but it is not an absolute necessity that they must be.
He added that the Constitution states clearly that elections must be held within three months of the dissolution of Parliament.
By that logic, given that Elections Day is on May 11, the dissolution proclamation by the Head of State can possibly be made after February 11th – considering that February 11th to May 11th marks three months and elections must be held “within three months” of the dissolution of Parliament.
“Parliament has to be dissolved on a date within that three-month timeframe,” Nandlall said.
Once the proclamation of dissolution is issued preparations for the next Parliament – the 11th Parliament – will commence.
Also, the chances of Parliament being recalled were dismissed by Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon, who stated that the next step, relative to the happenings of the 10th Parliament will be dissolution, via a proclamation by President Donald Ramotar.

SPENDING GUARDED
Also, preparations on Budget 2015 are ongoing, but with May 11 announced as the date for General and Regional elections, its presentation will be made to the 11th Parliament.
Constitutionally, a National Budget must be approved by the National Assembly and signed off by the Head of State by April 30 in any given year.
However, with the May 11 elections announcement, Parliament is expected to be dissolved before that. As such, spending is governed by Article 220 (3) of the Constitution.
Once Parliament is dissolved, the relative proclamation will activate the provisions of Article 220 paragraph 3, which states that if Parliament is dissolved before any actions are taken to authorise monies from public funds, “The minister responsible for finance may authorise the withdrawal of such sums from the Consolidated Fund.”
The minister must, however, prove that monies taken from the Consolidated Fund are used for the purpose “of meeting expenditure on the public services.”
The Consolidated Fund in normal circumstances could be accessed only by support from the National Assembly.
The procedure follows that after the new Parliament meets, a statement must be presented to the National Assembly by the Finance Minister or any other minister who was identified by the President. “When the statement has been approved by the Assembly, that expenditure shall be included, under the appropriate heads, in the next Appropriation Bill,” the legislation also reads.
Until Parliament is dissolved, it currently still stands under prorogation – following the November 10 proclamation by President Ramotar.
During this period, there are also laws that govern Government spending.
According to the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, a combination of Article 219 of the Constitution and the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act, provides that in any financial year the Government is empowered to spend one twelfth of the Budget of the preceding year in continuing to provide the normal services of the Government of Guyana, until an Appropriation Act is passed.
“This position obtains, whether Parliament is in session or not, or whether there will be Elections or no Elections. Indeed, if Parliament was in session, the National Assembly could not have prevented this constitutional and legal formula in relation to spending during this period (before the new Budget is passed) from being applied,” Nandlall said.
All considered and ‘much ado about hustings’ ahead, the consensus from majority of the Guyanese people is the eager awaiting of the May 11 arrival.

(Vanessa Narine)