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The 1980 Guyana Constitution, which is in current operation with its 1996 reforms, identifies the President as the Head-of-State and the Supreme Executive Authority. This plenipotentiary language does not mention a team or a brand. By virtue of this reason, there must be much scrutiny of the person who heads this team. Further, it is the President who appoints a Cabinet which acts in an advisory role and serves at his pleasure; under the State Land Act 3(1), the Presidential pen can decide on State lands, the President has the power to pardon those convicted of criminal activities. Most relevant and equally important, it is the president who performs the function of the Minister of Petroleum and has vast powers over Guyana’s embryonic oil and gas production. Article 182 of the Constitution grants immunity to the President while executing his presidential duties. It is dangerous to advocate that we pay little attention to who heads the political team during elections in Guyana; the powers ascribed in the constitution are too vast and potent to do so.

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THE POWER OF A GUYANESE PRESIDENT AND THE IMPORTANCE OF A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

February 2 ,2020

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I do not subscribe to the argument which says Guyanese should not be too concerned about who heads a list of candidates for regional and national elections and they should focus, instead, on the political brand and the team. Those who seek succor in this line of reasoning have tacitly accepted that their presidential candidate is not worthy to be a key focal point of serious campaigning. Once you take this reality to its logical conclusion, it teems with dangerous implications for the Republic. The quiet concession of your candidate not worthy of being the electoral centre of attention is suspect. It is a strange departure from the normal course of Guyanese and Caribbean politics, from Manley to Williams to Burnham and Jagan, the leadership name has always been key. Guyana has a unitary system that arrogates many constitutional powers to a president and, by virtue of that fact, it is folly to suggest that voters are only electing a team, a group or a brand. Guyanese will be voting for a presidential candidate who, if successful, will possess the power of the constitutional pen with its unlimited potency given by the 1980 constitution. We should never lose sight of this.

The Presidency and the 1980 Constitution
The 1980 Guyana Constitution, which is in current operation with its 1996 reforms, identifies the President as the Head-of-State and the Supreme Executive Authority. This plenipotentiary language does not mention a team or a brand. By virtue of this reason, there must be much scrutiny of the person who heads this team. Further, it is the President who appoints a Cabinet which acts in an advisory role and serves at his pleasure; under the State Land Act 3(1), the Presidential pen can decide on State lands, the President has the power to pardon those convicted of criminal activities. Most relevant and equally important, it is the president who performs the function of the Minister of Petroleum and has vast powers over Guyana’s embryonic oil and gas production. Article 182 of the Constitution grants immunity to the President while executing his presidential duties. It is dangerous to advocate that we pay little attention to who heads the political team during elections in Guyana; the powers ascribed in the constitution are too vast and potent to do so.

The Character of the Presidential Candidate
I have documented the extraordinary powers of the Presidency under the Guyana Constitution. On that basis, a case can be easily made out for why there needs to be a microscope on the person who heads a team or a party at elections in this country. This argumentation is strengthened when one examines the issue of character and the Presidency. If a shady character becomes president, the nation cannot expect that he will preside over a society that will be upright and transparent. By virtue of his powers, he will invariably bring that negativity to every nook and cranny of the Republic. This renders all campaign promises and plans to fight corruption completely null and void. We must demand serious attention on that one individual and not just the team. Both are equally important. In Guyana’s current electoral context, the APNU+AFC campaign places much pre-eminence on the quality of its leader. In addition, the main mantra is β€˜Honesty and Decency’. In the case of the PPP/C, this is completely absent. There is no bold claim of the exemplary character of the presidential candidate. It is evident, this is directly tied to the fact that numerous question marks hang over the character of Mr. Ali.

Besides the various branches of government and arms of the state, and despite the very complex local, regional and national governance system, the institution of the Presidency stands the tallest. It is the president’s name that proceeds from the lips of the smallest child and it is the president who the populace consistently looks towards to solve their most insignificant life challenges. This is the seemingly unalterable culture of Guyana. The president sets the mood of the nation. How important is a presidential candidate? Extremely important.

Django

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