Georgetown: In a joint statement, members of the diplomatic community in Guyana including the United States, Great Britain, and the European Union, have taken note of the CCJ’s pronouncements on July 12.
“The Caribbean Court of Justice – Guyana’s Supreme Court – has spoken. It is important for the rule of law that all invoked actors abide by its ruling and the relevant provisions of the Constitution. We urge everyone to do so expeditiously,”
In December 2018, the Leader of the Opposition had moved “a motion of no confidence” in the Government. Mr. Charandas Persaud, a member of the Government, had joined the 32 Opposition members in voting for the motion so that 33 members voted in favour of the motion and 32 voted against.
Another provision of the Constitution required elections to be held within three months of the defeat of the Government on a motion of confidence, unless two-thirds of the National Assembly determined a longer period before the holding of elections. Despite the Speaker of the Assembly declaring that the motion had been validly passed, the Government neither resigned nor announced impending elections. This triggered a number of legal challenges in the courts in Guyana, which ultimately led to two days of hearings at the CCJ in May 2019.
There were three main issues before the Court. The first issue related to the number of votes needed to pass a vote of no-confidence. The CCJ decided that the requirement for “a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly”, referred to a majority of the total number of votes or seats in the Assembly, irrespective of the number of members who actually vote. In determining that majority, the Court was of the opinion that the ‘half plus one’ rule was not applicable. The Court stated that the majority was clearly at least 33 votes.
The second issue was whether Mr Persaud was ineligible to vote as he was a dual citizen. Dual citizens are not allowed to put themselves up for candidacy in elections to the National Assembly. The Court found that the National Assembly (Validity of Elections) Act required that a petition alleging that Mr Persaud was disqualified from running for office would have had to be filed in the High Court of Guyana within 28 days after the publication of the results of the 2015 election.
Since this case was filed in January 2019, the Court held that the challenge to Mr. Persaud’s election to the Assembly had been out of time. The Court also rejected the submission that Mr. Persaud was absolutely required to vote against the motion of no confidence along with other members of the Government.
Another issue hinged on the differences between a ‘motion of no confidence’ and ‘a motion of confidence’. It was argued that the provisions in the Constitution only applied to ‘motions of confidence’ which could only be raised by a member of the Government. The Court however held that the reference to ‘a vote of confidence’ in the Constitution included ‘a motion of no confidence’ which could be raised by any member of the Assembly, including the Leader of the Opposition.
The main judgment was delivered by the President of the Court, the Hon. Mr. Justice Saunders, with concurring judgments by the Hon. Messrs. Justice Wit and Anderson and the Hon. Mme. Justice Rajnauth-Lee. The bench also included the Hon. Mr. Justice Hayton. Mr Justice Wit said that while the Constitution contained provisions that prevented members from ‘crossing the floor’ and gave the representative of each both the Government and the Opposition the power to recall and replace a member. Those provisions could not, and were not, meant to prevent members from so voting.
Mr. Justice Anderson said that there may be need for drafters to revisit the language of ‘confidence motions’ provisions in the Constitution to bring about more clarity. He also said that while challenges to disqualifications for elections were generally barred after 28 days after the election, in his opinion, there may be cases such as fraud where the Court would have jurisdiction to hear the matter.
Mme. Justice Rajnauth-Lee in her judgment stated that “there was nothing which prevented Mr Persaud from voting in favour of the no confidence motion” and she urged all to bear in mind that the rule of law was an important guiding constitutional principle of a sovereign democratic state like Guyana.
In another matter that was before the CCJ, the Court also ruled that the process through which Reverend Justice (Retired) James Patterson was appointed Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) by His Excellency, Brigadier David Granger, President of Guyana, was flawed and in breach of Guyana’s Constitution. The Court emphasised, however, that nothing in its judgment was intended “in the slightest degree” to cast aspersions on Justice Patterson’s competence and suitability for the position of Chairman of GECOM. Nor was there any suggestion that President Granger had not acted in good faith.
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