Dr Asha Kissoon’s removal from National Assembly a matter for law & the constitution – PPP GS

The views of political parties have nothing to do with the removal of The New Movement’s (TNM) representative in the National Assembly, Dr. Asha Kissoon, according to General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo who on Thursday responded to calls from the political opposition for the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) to replace Dr Kissoon.

TNM had partnered with the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) and A New and United Guyana (ANUG) at the 2020 General and Regional Elections. Together, the parties won one seat in the National Assembly with LJP leading the votes and it was agreed that each party would serve a percentage of the 5-year term in the seat.

However, while the leader of the LJP, Lenox Shuman resigned at the end of his assigned tenure, Dr Kissoon refuses to vacate the seat, resulting in protests from ANUG and recently, the Alliance For Change (AFC).

Asked to share his views on the matter, Jagdeo told media operatives that: “It is not emotional issue for me, it is a matter for law and the constitution…I don’t think there is a role for the PPP in this matter. We’re not the guardians of the laws relating to the elections of members to the National Assembly, their extraction from the list and their appointment to the Parliament.”

“At this point in time, it has nothing to do with my comfort or discomfort…It is not what Jagdeo wants or Nigel [Hughes , AFC Leader] wants or what [PNC Leader, Aubrey] Norton wants or ANUG wants…There’s laws and there is the constitution and these guide the deliberations of GECOM and appointment of members to the National Assembly…this must be studied carefully and fairy applied,” Jagdeo added.

He noted that “this is a matter entirely for GECOM and the parliament office. The political parties have no standing in this matter.”

Explaining his views, the General Secretary pointed out that the Legal Officer of GECOM can look at the situation and advise the Commission to seek external legal advice on whether the it has the authority to remove a Member of Parliament that was extracted by the representative of a party’s list of candidates.

Further, if GECOM is unable to make such a move, the issue can be forwarded to the Speaker of the National Assembly or ultimately be resolved through an election petition.

GECOM Chairperson Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh recently committed to resolving the ongoing controversy involving the presence of Dr Kissoon continuing to sit in the National Assembly.

While GECOM had previously distanced itself from the matter, saying that it has “absolutely no authority” to remove Dr Kissoon from the National Assembly, Justice Singh told reporters after being grilled at a press conference on last month that there is a way for the Commission to intervene.

“There is another step that I’m thinking of, which I don’t want to divulge here. There is another step… That step would be addressed in a short time from now,” the GECOM Chair had assured.