There were many instances in the past when the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) firmly stood on the side of democracy, whenever and wherever it was threatened. Why then is there a deafening silence from CARICOM on the government’s disrespect for the recent ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) which calls for general and regional elections to be held in three months and for Cabinet to resign immediately? This question was recently posed by Opposition Member Dr Leslie Ramsammy in an open letter to CARICOM Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque.
In his missive, Dr Ramsammy noted that democracy is under threat in Guyana as the APNU+AFC government refuses to adhere to the constitution and the will of Parliament. The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) member reminded that CARICOM itself, in the midst of the clumsy challenge by the government of the no-confidence motion and its validity, insisted that the legal avenues must be honoured and, therefore, it will not voice any position on the political dispute in Guyana, one of its founding members. Dr Ramsammy said that CARICOM took this position even though the parliamentary outcome was clear on December 21, 2018. Whatever doubt the government attempted to stir has now been dismissed by the CCJ, the PPP member added.
Dr Ramsammy said, “The CCJ left nothing for interpretation — the Guyana Government is a caretaker government and it must follow the constitution [and hold] elections within three months. What is CARICOM waiting on now? CARICOM’s silence on what is happening in Guyana brings disrepute to this body and will forever impact on its future position on various matters.”
Expounding further, the former minister opined that CARICOM’s future positions on any threat to democracy anywhere will seem hollow and hypocritical. Adding to this point, Dr Ramsammy said, “How could an organisation which turned a blind eye to the sabotaging of the Constitution by one of its own members challenge undemocratic behaviour in other countries or even in another of its member states? CARICOM’s silence as the Constitution of Guyana is being railroaded potentially disqualifies CARICOM from ever again being a legitimate voice against undemocratic actions anywhere.”
The opposition member said that the CCJ’s own future is in jeopardy and CARICOM’s silence is contributing to a perilous future for the judicial body. He noted that the CCJ is one of the most important institutions in CARICOM and he also noted that the strength and integrity of CARICOM are dependent on a strong and respected CCJ. If the CCJ’s rulings and orders are allowed to be ignored by a government, as is happening in Guyana right now, Dr Ramsammy opined that the CCJ is essentially rendered a toothless poodle.
At the very least, the former minister said that CARICOM must take a stance and publicly state that the CCJ ruling is sacrosanct, with no room to disrespect the institution. He emphatically stated that CARICOM must end its silence and forcefully call on the Government of Guyana to enforce the CCJ’s rulings, following faithfully the provisions of the Constitution of Guyana.
