POLITICS-GUYANA: One Week Later Country Remains in Turmoil

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Bert Wilkinson

GEORGETOWN, Dec 22 1997 (IPS) - Exactly one week after Guyanese went to the polls to elect a new government the country remains in deep political turmoil.

Leader of the People’s National Congress (PNC) Desmond Hoyte in a fit of anger has vowed to “make the country ungovernable.” The police, Sunday, defused two bombs near the residence of the newly sworn in President, Janet Jagan of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and supporters of the PNC are still taking to the streets protesting the outcome of last Monday’s election.

“We now have an unlawful government ruling our country,” declares Hoyte.

Jagan was sworn in, in a secret ceremony Friday afternoon, just minutes before two court marshals entered the official residence of the President, unaware that they had just missed the ceremony, loudly asking for permission to serve the summons on Jagan.

A shouting and shoving match ensued, involving security personnel, PPP supporters, the two court officials and even journalists who were caught in the middle of the fight as video cameras rolled and diplomats watched in embarrassment.

After several minutes the summonses were served on Jagan, dressed in a navy blue suit and smiling non-stop. She promptly threw the papers over her shoulder, saying “Here take this.”

The court had ruled in favour of a PNC request barring Singh from declaring a winner and from the swearing in ceremony taking place and also barring Jagan from performing the duties as President or taking any binding decisions on the nation.

No one is clear whether or not Jagan has begun carrying out the duties as head of state, but the office of one of the three PNC attorneys says she would be in contempt of court if she flouts the court order.

“We didn’t mind accepting defeat if they had won squarely and fairly, but they cheat. Now nothing is happening in the country,” says PNC spokeswoman, Andrea Rohlehr.

The controversy heated up Friday when with only 37,0000 votes left to be counted and with the PPP lead reaching 45,000 over its main rival, the PNC, Elections Commissioner, Doodnauth Singh declared the PPP the winner of the elections, saying the PNC, could not, by any stretch of the imagination, overtake the PPP.

Singh made his announcement against a background of persistent protest by the PNC and several other parties of irregularities and fraud. Ten parties had contested the election.

The parties had also alleged, and the Commission had acknowledged, that there were serious problems with the tallying and verification of the estimated 380,000 people who voted in the elections held on Dec. 15.

Hoyte has accused Doodnauth Singh of violating the country’s Constitution by declaring the winner while votes were still being counted.

Singh, claiming that he was acting on advice by Army Chief Brigadier Joseph Singh and Police Commissioner Laurie Lewis, moved to declare a winner even as three senior lawyers representing the PNC were before Chief Justice Desiree Bernard arguing its case.

The three attorneys, the Chief Justice, the PNC and the public did not know that before she made the rulings in favour of the PNC, Judiciary Chancellor Cecil Kennard and Doodnauth Singh had already arranged for the swearing in of Janet Jagan as Guyana’s President.

The swearing in ceremony took place just one day after her late husband and former President, Cheddi Jagan would have celebrated his 50th year as a Parliamentarian. “What a story,” observed former Information Minister, Moses Nagamootoo then.

Cheddi Jagan died in March following a heart attack. In accepting the party’s nomination a its Presidential candidate in September, Janet Jagan announced that her husband’s dying wish was that she took over the leadership of the party.

Meanwhile, Jagan, Singh and Kennard have all been ordered to appear in court Monday to answer the PNC charges.

While the country awaits the outcome of the court hearing, tension is rising as heavily armed police are patrolling the streets of Georgetown, clashing at times with supporters of the PNC.