Jagdeo not interested in third term or elected position – Luncheon

Jagdeo not interested in third term or elected position  – Luncheon

Former President of Guyana Bharrat Jagdeo, who is currently overseas, has asked the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government to clarify that he is not interested in being elected to a third term in office. That request came in response to a  writ which was filed  in the High Court on Monday challenging the two term limit for the Presidency in Guyana.

The Government’s Chief Spokesman, Dr.  Roger Luncheon told a media briefing on Wednesday morning that Mr. Jagdeo has asked to correspond by way of declaration that “he remains committed to not pursuing any further appointment to an elected constitutional office or post in Guyana.”

Luncheon reminded that this has been Jagdeo’s public position since he exited office in 2011, after serving two terms, and says the motion which was filed appears to be a deliberate act to create uncertainty as the country approaches the May 11 general and regional elections.

“He insists that it is a position of principle, consistent with earlier declarations to the public”,  Dr. Luncheon added.

That pronouncement could mean that the former President is also not interested in being a candidate on the PPP Civic’s list of candidates for the upcoming elections.  There have been reports that the PPP wants to put together an “A Team” that would consist of  President Ramotar, Mr. Jagdeo and at least two other high-ranking members of the government. Sources close to Jagdeo have explained that he may be more interested in taking on an appointment as the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Presidential Secretariat should the PPP be re-elected.

When quizzed by News Source, the Cabinet Secretary was hesitant of giving Cabinet’s view on the motion itself. He said he did not want to offend the principle of Sub Judice since the motion is yet to be heard and ruled on.

The action was filed by Attorney Shawn Allicock on behalf of Georgetown resident, Cedric Richardson.

In the action, the applicant is contending that the two term limit on the presidency is unconstitutional and the procedure and process by which that provision was placed in the constitution is unlawful and unconstitutional.

What the applicant wants is for the court to remove any hurdles that currently block a president who would have already served two terms in office from seeking a third term.

But according to Dr. Luncheon, the amendments to the Constitution on the term limit arose out of a historic time of the evolution of the return to democracy which is well-respected by Cabinet.

He said even in the absence of a formal declaration of its support for the term limit, Cabinet has no interest and will not condone such a situation.

But in the writ, the applicant contends that  “Act No 17 of 2001 passed by a two-thirds majority of members of the National Assembly that purportedly altered Article 90 of the Constitution “curtails and restricts the sovereign and democratic rights and freedom as a qualified elector to elect the person of former President Bharrat Jagdeo as the Executive President of Guyana.”

The Applicant further states that “Act No 17 of 2001 has the consequence (advertent or inadvertent) of restricting and curtailing the democratic rights and freedom of the electorate by purporting to eliminate from the Executive Presidential Candidate a person who has been re-elected as Executive President, for example former President Jagdeo.”

And he is also of the belief that “Act No 17 of 2001 has the effect of restricting or curtailing the democratic rights and freedom of the electorate providing for the non-eligibility of a person who has been re-elected as Executive President for presidential elections candidate, required for its legal validity the holding of a referendum of the people diminishes and reduces the level of democracy enjoyed by the electorate prior to the purported alteration and therefore required the holding of a referendum for such alteration.”

When the two term limit provision was passed in the national assembly, it was done so unanimously and under the Jagdeo presidency.

 

Filed: 4th February, 2015

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