Dear Editor,
The 2020 elections were a wakeup call for all Guyanese. The constitution was being violated, and our democracy was almost derailed. The Chairperson of the Elections Commission was unilaterally appointed without consultation with the then leader of the opposition, and general elections were delayed after the no confidence vote. The CCJ had to be used, and the appointment process used for the Chairperson by the President and his administration was ruled unconstitutional. All right-thinking Guyanese lifted their voices and demanded that the rule of law be followed and in the end our constitution remained the supreme law of the land in the eyes of our nation. A supreme law which we should continue to respect and uphold. The coalition government was soundly defeated in the following elections as punishment for their failure to follow the democratic process and for their failure to adhere to our nation’s constitution. The AFC has been excluded from Parliament, and the PNC has been diminished to a remnant of what it was during Burnham’s tenure. It is the first time that the party of Forbes is no longer running the country or in the office of leader of the opposition.
However, today we are now faced with a President who fought for our democratic freedoms in 2020 who is now also making the same hard learned mistakes of the coalition government. There is no urgency being demonstrated to elect the leader of the opposition nor is there any urgency that demands the appointment of the Teaching Service Commission that would justify breaking the process as outlined in our nation’s constitution. Why is the current leadership of the PPP taking such an unnecessary risk? The Party of the Jagans is the Party of the working class, and the Party is greater than any one individual. It is highly reckless for the current leadership of the PPP to go down the same path as the coalition government when they were in office.
We the people of Guyana must demand that our nation’s constitution be respected and not circumvented. It is the duty of every citizen of our country to ensure that the laws of our great nation are followed and enforced. Upholding the constitution is not optional, especially when the highest office of the land is involved in a process that is outlined within the constitution. CRG insists that the President seek the advice of the Chambers of the Attorney General and adhere to the process as outlined in the constitution. Article 207 of the Constitution: Composition of the Commission (Teaching Service Commission) states the following:-
The Teaching Service Commission shall consist of seven members.
Six of the members of the Commission (hereinafter referred to as “appointed members”) shall be appointed as follows-
a) one person appointed by the President on the nomination of the Guyana Teachers’ Association;
b) two persons nominated for appointment by the Minister assigned responsibility for local government after that Minister has consulted with local democratic organs or bodies; and
c) three persons appointed by the President after meaningful consultation with the Leader of the Opposition
The other member of the Commission shall be the Chief Education Officer
Given that it is the last time the current president will be able to hold the presidency, he must consider the future of the Party and not take away the opportunity for others in the PPP/C to obtain the presidency as the coalition government has unfortunately done. Does the PPP wish to lose their strong presence in Parliament at the next general elections? This is highly doubtful. To prevent suffering from the same fate as the APNU + AFC coalition government, the PPP/C must show the nation that they are going to uphold the constitution and adhere to our democratic principles. What is extremely worrying about the breaking of the constitutionally outlined process in this matter is that it marks the beginning of a slippery slope. When the power of the current government is at stake, it will be easier for the wrong decision to be made. A decision that would entail the breaking of the laws outlined in our constitution and a repeat of the mistakes of the past which were made by those who did not want to relinquish power. The PPP/C should not deem it necessary to go down this undemocratic and unconstitutional path. The people of our great nation will support who upholds the law and the will of our citizens. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that the PPP/C correct the process used in the establishment of the Teaching Service Commission as soon as possible. The people who have been selected are of very high quality and it is also an injustice to them to be used in such an unconstitutional manner. We must do better by them and our nation in this matter.