Guyana is not APNU/AFC’s personal property

BY: HASEEF YUSUF

On February 8th, Joleen Steyn Kotze, Senior Research Specialist at Human Research Council, in her article titled, “Africa faces a new threat to democracy: the ‘constitutional coup’,” wrote about the increasing trend for African leaders to illegally extend their tenure of office; but she may have been inadvertently writing about Guyana as well, a South American state situated thousands of miles from Africa, and at that time being in transition from democracy to dictatorship through a ‘constitutional coup’.

She began by stating, ‘Conventional wisdom tells us that good political societies are built on the principles of constitutionalism, this entails upholding the rule of law and separation of powers, this is to ensure an even distribution of power where a society is built on principles of law, not men’.

Unfortunately, in Guyana, the Constitution and the rule of law are now subservient to the PNC.
She explained further that ‘The principles of good governance are characterised by transparency, responsibility, accountability, participation, responsiveness, and respecting the rule of law. The social contract between those who govern and those who are governed is founded on the rights-based approach to governance. This means that leader governs at the pleasure of the people, and do not rule with sovereign license at the cost of constitutional rules. The wellbeing and rights of the people must be the central concern of those who govern.

‘Good governance entails playing by the rules. It requires accepting electoral defeat if the people willed so.’
For nearly 5 months now, the APNU/AFC are still to accept electoral defeat!
She was at the time focusing on the trend wherein African presidents, by way of the ‘constitutional coup’, extend their tenure of office by effectively becoming “president for life” by changing their constitutions to do so. She gave examples such as Burundi, Rwanda, the Congo, and Burkina Faso, where this has happened.
She highlighted that, ‘while military coups are increasingly out-of-fashion, people on the continent need to pay attention to the “softer” methods used to entrench the “president for life” syndrome, which threatens the continent’s democratic gains.’

Granger understands that the “softer” methods are now in vogue, and has been applying these!
However, Ms Kotze would be appalled at the type of ‘constitutional coup’ being foisted by Granger and his caretaker government; or should I say illegal government, since no doubt is left, having interpreted the utterances of Granger and Harmon: that the PNC will never concede defeat, and will not abide by the declaration of GECOM. The PNC’s method is not about changing or amending the Constitution to extend their term in office, Granger has been openly violating the Constitution, the rule of law, and the judgments of the courts, including the apex court, the CCJ. He has no time to change or amend the Constitution. According to him, the Constitution does not exist! Even the courts do not exist, if they rule against him! And even GECOM does not exist, if the declaration is against him.
Granger interprets the Constitution, and not the courts. Granger, indeed, has taken ‘constitutional coup’ to a higher level.

Granger’s utterances of abiding by the Constitution, respecting the Court’s rulings, and conceding to GECOM’s declaration are bereft of any substance, and can be seen only in the context of a dictator making a mockery of not only the Guyanese people, but the entire democratic world.

Manzoor Elahi reminds us that, ‘According to Locke, the purpose of the Government and law is to uphold and protect the natural rights of men. So long as the Government fulfils this purpose, the laws given by it are valid and binding, but when it ceases to fulfil it, then the laws would not have validity, and the Government can be thrown out of power’.
Should Granger be bent of culminating his ‘constitutional coup’ then his tenure as a dictator will not be tolerated by the democratic world, and most definitely will be transient. Illegal governments do not last, and will be ‘thrown out of power’ sooner rather than later.
Let the PNC be reminded that Guyana is not their personal property, and democracy will win!