Gov’t has always acted ‘within the law’ – President Donald Ramotar

PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar yesterday faced head on what he termed “distortions” over the tabling of a $4.6B financial paper, which restored monies cut from the 2014 Budget, and made it clear that the Government has always acted “within the law” and within the legislative framework, as prescribed by the Constitution.

“There is much distortion taking place in the media…all we do is Constitutional and this (the misinformation peddled) is distortion,” he said, during a news conference held at State House.
The paper is a first in a series of papers expected to be brought before Parliament in a move to restore important funds cut from the $220B budget for 2014. Included in the $4.6B was the full return of $6.1B to the Office of the President. The allocation, for current expenditures, included monies for the Government Information Agency (GINA) and the National Communications Network (NCN). Also $450M was returned to the President’s office under for capital expenditures under the Administrative Services category. A portion of the capital expenditures under the Ministry of Finance’s policy and administration was also returned and includes $424M for the Low Carbon Development programmes, $225M for the University of Guyana’s student loan funds and $67M for the Guyana Revenue Authority. The Amerindian Development Fund, $303M, was returned to the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, as was $359.8M for the Cheddi Jagan International Airport’s (CJIA) project.
Mr. Ramotar surmised that the distortions being peddled are clearly premised on political objectives.
“All the monies that have gone back to the National Assembly are covered by the Constitution…some of these things (spending) are urgent…these are necessary for, one, the welfare of the people and, secondly, for the functioning of the state” he said.

[box type=”shadow” align=”alignright” ]“There is much distortion taking place in the media…all we do is Constitutional and this (the misinformation peddled) is distortion…it is totally within the Constitution. Everything we do, we do within the Constitution…the Constitution has given us the right to take these matters to the National Assembly.” – “Why are they (APNU and AFC) plugging this line of it being unconstitutional, when they themselves participated in the same process in 2012 and 2013? They did not see it as unconstitutional then. Why are they branding it unconstitutional now?” – President Donald Ramotar[/box]
According to him, if this fact is doubted by the political Opposition, they should move to the courts, where a determination on constitutionality will be made.
He said: “With the return of the financial papers to the National Assembly, there is a lot of talk of the unconstitutionality of it and while I am always reluctant to put motives to some of these attacks and criticism, I am tempted to question why this issue has arisen; largely because in 2012 and in 2013 we did exactly the same thing and the Opposition voted for many of them (the financial papers).
“It is totally within the Constitution. Everything we do, we do within the Constitution…the Constitution has given us the right to take these matters to the National Assembly.”
The President also questioned the hullaballoo being created over the recent financial paper, particularly since the tabling of the paper is nothing different from what was done in 2012 and 2013 – actions that were supported by the combined Opposition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC).
Mr. Ramotar said: “Why are they plugging this line of it being unconstitutional, when they themselves participated in the same process in 2012 and 2013? They did not see it as unconstitutional then. Why are they branding it unconstitutional now?
“The monies we are putting back into the system are the Amerindian Development Fund…the University of Guyana student loan….all justified…(with) all this noise they are making, there seems to be some sinister purpose behind it.
“These things, they (the combined Opposition) participated in the same process in 2012 and 2013 and this is all that we are doing again. It is within the (framework) of the Constitution.”
The move to table the financial paper in the National Assembly was based on a reliance on the Constitutional grounds and rulings of the Court to initiate an exercise to restore funds from the 2014 National Budget that were voted down by the combined Opposition in the National Assembly. The financial paper is expected to be considered at the next sitting of the National Assembly.
Written By Vanessa Narine

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