President Granger has lost the legitimate right to govern – FITUG
The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) is interpreting President David Granger’s lack of constitutional compliance as a usurpation of executive power and a perpetuation of the charades that the Coalition has been engaged in since the beginning of the year.
In a statement yesterday, FITUG stated that like most Guyanese, it waited anxiously to hear President David Granger’s address to the nation on Wednesday evening, hopeful that he would have brought an end “to the Constitutional dark clouds that are hovering over our Land of Many Waters.” The organisation expressed its dismay that the President’s address did not in any way, “bring us any closer to Constitutional compliance. Rather, we dismayingly saw, a perpetuation of the charades that the Coalition has been engaged in over the last nine months.”
As far as the Federation is concerned, the President’s intimation of a tentative electoral date is practically an unheard of phenomenon and is now the latest ploy dispatched by the Administration as it continues its disrespectful attitude towards the Constitution. It recognises that the President is seeking Parliamentary support regarding extending the life of his Government and the undoubted late acceptance of this reality is definitely a clear admission by the President that his administration stands on weak legal grounds, “if any at all.” It questioned the moral authority of the government to govern and noted that the President’s “sentiments” contradict what the he and other Coalition officials have said previously on the matter.
Yesterday morning, President Granger amended his position and said that March 2nd is the date for the elections with or without the support of the opposition.
The Federation referred to the President’s address and noted that he drew attention to the upcoming Golden Jubilee of Republicanism as a rationale for announcing his possible electoral date. It observed, “While the Jubilee is indeed a proud moment for our nation and all Guyanese, it, undoubtedly, will be overshadowed by the utter and blatant contempt for the rule of law and our fledgling democracy.”
In consideration of this important anniversary, FITUG reminded of the utterances of Dr Cheddi Jagan on the achievement of Republican status in an address to the National Assembly on February 23, 1970 where he said, “We should be rejoicing, but unfortunately, there is little to shout about. The real freedom which we fought for has eluded us. Instead of a new liberation, we have a new servitude,” adding, “the fact is that our beloved country is retrogressing instead of progressing. All that independence and republicanism stand for are being violated in our country. Conceptually, republicanism was a declaration of independence, an enunciation of the principle that sovereignty derives from the people and not from tyrants… “The Constitution is being subverted at every turn. The People’s National Congress has made a mockery of the electoral process…” Indeed nearly 50 years to the day, the Federation intoned, “Dr Jagan’s words remain relevant and an apt description of contemporary Guyana.”
As the Federation sees it, the Government is “unfazed” by the genuine and germane criticisms that have been levelled at it. Further, it opined that the Granger-led Coalition Government “is prepared at all costs and consequences, to continue to squat and usurp Executive power though it has legitimately lost its right to govern.”
The statement added that the denial of the Guyanese people’s inalienable right of franchise, a struggle that was ignited by the Trade Union movement, is disheartening and a step in the wrong direction. “Today, the peace-loving and democratic forces must again retrieve our nation from undemocratic and illegal rule.”