CENTRE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND DEVELOPMENT Inc. 771 Thomas Boyland Street Suite 1F, B/klyn, NY 11212 Email: guyanacsjad@gmail - Teleconference # 712-432-0080 https://sites.google/site/centresocialdevelopment Monday, November 10, 2014 PRESS STATEMENT The President of Guyana Donald Ramotar issued a proclamation proroguing Parliament on November 10, 2014, effectively shutting down the legislative arm of government and allowing him to rule for six months without any input from the people’s elected representatives. The Centre for Social Justice and Development Inc. is dismayed by and strongly condemns the unprecedented and callous decision of President Ramotar. Guyana is currently experiencing politics of authoritarianism augmented by divisive racial politics, massive public corruption and pervasive moral decadence. This announcement will only serve to aggravate discontent, increase tensions and hasten societal degeneracy. Meanwhile, an uncompromising government appears oblivious to its waning popularity, dismisses the disillusionment of a significant percent of citizenry and many others that have completely lost confidence in the PPP/C governance. The absence of local government elections for twenty-two years has been the major demand of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), the main opposition party. Any expectation that this monopolizing administration preoccupied with power would accede to such overtures has now been eviscerated. Prorogation means a longer delay, and perhaps, an indefinite one. Further, it inhibits involvement in the decision making process and negatively impact our fledgling democracy. But more importantly, the President’s action negates prospects of solidifying participatory democracy at all levels of government. Many of the communities affected by PPP/C intransigence are predominated by Afro-Guyanese. Not lost in the prevailing deteriorating situation is the composition of the Ramotar government- one run almost exclusively by Indo-Guyanese. With Parliament rendered impotent to curb excesses of the Executive arm of government, which precipitated the AFC ‘no confidence’ motion, President Ramator will definitely marginalize the opposition by appropriating complete political power, which is tantamount to autocratic leadership. Therefore, the Centre for Social Justice and Development finds it deeply troubling that a majority of parliamentarians will for an indefinite period not participate in governance of the country and be denied the privilege of Parliamentary oversight. This abuse of power is a grave violation of the inalienable sovereignty of Guyanese. At the last national elections held on November 28, 2011, Guyanese voted to give the opposition control of the National Assembly. President Ramotar has defiled the constitutional rights of a majority of citizens, and has abrogated the sacred principle of Article 9, which states inter alia Sovereignty belongs to the people who exercise it through their representatives ... Guyana now drifts closer to despotic rule than at any time in its young political history. The Centre for Social Justice and Development deplores this precarious trajectory.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 18:41:54 +0000
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