Ramkarran chides Opposition for boycotting Parliament –labels ‘ludicrous’ recount calls based on sus

Guyana Chronicle June 15, 2015

FORMER People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Executive and Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran has chided the decision of that party to stay away from Parliament, describing it as ‘irresponsible’.The PPP/C is yet to submit its list of Members of Parliament (MPs) to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for the 11th Parliament, and has not indicated when it will do so.

As a result, it was a no-show at the opening of the 11th Parliament last Wednesday. The Guyana Chronicle made several attempts to contact senior PPP/C officials on the Party’s decision on going to Parliament, but to no avail. Ramkarran nevertheless believes that while the main Opposition party is behaving stubborn for the time being, good sense will not be elusive to its leadership. But, he said, it is important that it dawns on them sooner rather than later, pointing out that they should see early the wisdom of representing the 200,000 plus persons who voted for them in the recent elections. According to Ramkarran, while the PPP/C is preparing to challenge the results in the court, it should not shirk its responsibility to its supporters. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle yesterday, Ramkarran said the current posture is not helpful to the image and spirit of the once great party, which, under the leadership of Dr. Cheddi Jagan, was a champion of the interests of the thousands whom it represented, both in and out of the National Assembly. It appears that the Main Opposition has managed to convince some of its supporters that the 2015 Regional and General Elections were not free and fair, hence, the reason for them staying away from Parliament. FROWNED UPON But their action has been frowned upon by the international community. Both US Charge D Affairs, Brian Hunt and British High Commission to Guyana, Gregory Quinn have called on the PPP/C to occupy its seats in the National Assembly.

Recently, in another section of the media, Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr. Nicole Giles joined the chorus, noting that it is imperative that the PPP/C takes up its seats and hold the Government accountable.

Former PPP/C Member of Parliament (MP) Dr. Vindhya Persaud also criticised her party’s decision to stay away from the House. She too was adamant that the Opposition should be the voice of its supporters in Parliament even as it presses ahead with an elections petition.

“I strongly urge, as I did previously at our meeting, that we go to Parliament and represent our support base as a formidable Opposition. We need to demonstrate a positive and united approach as a party and represent Guyanese at the highest level holding… the Government accountable for their actions. Their many actions taken since their ascendancy require our scrutiny, objection and rejection. In the height of rigged elections, Dr. Jagan went to Parliament as Opposition– he understood that the party’s voice needed to be heard and recorded at that level,” Dr. Persaud was quoted as saying in an email to her colleagues. According to Ramkarran, from all he has heard, the PPP/C has not made a convincing case that there are enough discrepancies to affect the outcome of the results declared by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

The elections were a close race. According to GECOM, the PPP/C secured 202,694 votes, losing to the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition which gained 207, 200 votes. Ramkarran said the PPP/C will probably make a more credible case in the elections petition. But from pronouncements by party officials and information in the public domain, he said it is clear that the PPP/C is calling for a total recount based on suspicion.

LUDICROUS This, Ramkarran contended, is “ludicrous”, while noting that the court cannot order a recount of the votes cast in the 2015 Regional and General Elections. What the PPP/C, he said, will have to do is prove in court where violations in the law(s) occurred and that discrepancy if occurred is enough to affect the declared outcome of the elections. Based on the facts presented, Ramkarran, a senior counsel, told this publication that the court will either uphold the results declared by GECOM or declare it null and void. He also pointed out that GECOM does not have the power to unilaterally decide to recount the votes cast, pointing out that in 1997, the Government had to go to Parliament to pass a law, which allowed for the recount. The former PPP/C Executive said he is not certain that the current Government would want to support a call by the PPP/C if it wants to utilise this process. Meanwhile, Ramkarran is also advising his former comrades not bury their heads in the sand, pointing out that their claim that the elections were rigged and their staying away from Parliament will not do much to help the cause and image of the party.

He noted that the strategy worked in 1973 when there was known electoral fraud and the rice and sugar industries were crumbling, coupled with a host of other woes affecting the people. The PPP/C under Dr Jagan, he explained, fought to right these wrongs and was able draw overwhelming sympathy from the populace. Today, he pointed out, the social, political and economic situations have changed significantly, and it is hardly likely that Guyana will return to those challenging days. The situation today, he emphasised, is not the same as it was in 1973, and the PPP/C should not fool themselves into believing otherwise.

The former PPP/C stalwart said the party’s leadership has to do some serious introspection, and needs to come up with innovative but constructive strategies to represent its supporters, bring back those who left the party and attract new members. But he noted that the place the PPP/C should be taking the fight to the Government is in Parliament, because the people voted to put them there so that their interests can be represented in the highest forum of the land.