Bar Association accuses Govt. of now operating outside of the rule of law

The Association said it notes that in its judgment in the consolidated no confidence cases of 12 July 2019, the Caribbean Court of Justice said that the meaning of the constitutional provisions requiring elections is clear and it placed the responsibility of honouring those provisions on the constitutional actors in Guyana.

Bar Association accuses Govt. of now operating outside of the rule of law

The Bar Association of Guyana in a statement today condemned what it called the “failure by the Government of Guyana to hold General and Regional Elections within the period mandated by the Constitution” following the passage of a no-confidence motion.

The Association said the Government is now operating outside the rule of law.

According to the Bar Association, “by failing to abide by the clear and unambiguous terms of the Constitution, the Government of Guyana has abdicated its responsibility, violated the Constitution, is operating outside of the rule of law and in breach of internationally recognised standards of democracy”.

The Association said it notes that in its judgment in the consolidated no confidence cases of 12 July 2019, the Caribbean Court of Justice said that the meaning of the constitutional provisions requiring elections is clear and it placed the responsibility of honouring those provisions on the constitutional actors in Guyana.

The Association said while it notes that the Court did not order elections, it was clear that it expressed its expectation that constitutional responsibilities would have been exercised with integrity in keeping with the Constitution.

“The constitutional duty and responsibility of the President was to fix a date for elections within the three-month period set out in the Constitution in the absence of a Parliamentary extension of that period, which extension the Bar Council notes was not sought and or obtained before the period expired”, the Association said.

President David Granger has said that it is the Guyana Elections Commission that has to indicate its readiness to host elections. He said he has followed the Constitution and has not breached the Constitution.

20 September 2019

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