…PM backs Speaker’s decision to disallow questions on some agencies

SPEAKER of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland on Tuesday moved ahead with the consideration of the 2018 National budget by disallowing questions on the estimates of some agencies that were slated to be scrutinized on Monday but were held hostage when Opposition, Member of Parliament Juan Edghill was ruled out of order.

The opposition protested this move and accused the government and Speaker of trying to muzzle them and dodge scrutiny, but in a quick reaction Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Leader of the House emphasised that there was a time that was agreed to for each ministry to be examined.

He said if by their own act the PPP decided on Monday to frustrate the process “by gross disorderly conduct then you have to suffer the consequences.” “Their bad behaviour cannot be awarded with additional time. The Speaker quite correctly put the matters that were left over from Monday for approval and that was done…This is not an opposition that you are likely to convince by reason or by principle it is a runaway train and will remain so once Bharrat Jagdeo is in driver’s seat,” the Prime Minister declared.

Among the agencies whose budgets were approved without questioning were: Ministries of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Ministry of the Presidency, which included the Prime Minister’s Office. The total budget for those agencies amounted to around $23.3B.

The Speaker’s decision was met with objection by the Opposition – People’s Progressive Party (PPP), who took a decision to walk out of the Chambers but not before hurling insults not only at the Government Members of Parliament but the Speaker as well.

Edghill fiasco
At the convening of the National Assembly on Tuesday, the Speaker reminded the House that the Capital Expenditure for the Ministry of Presidency was not considered on Monday because of the Juan Edghill fiasco which resulted in the work of the Committee of Supply being suspended. The consideration of the estimates for the Guyana Defence Force, the Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Business, Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Natural Resources was also affected as a result of the crisis that faced the National Assembly on Monday in which police were called in to remove Edghill.

Dr. Scotland informed the Parliamentarians that as a result of the situation, questions will not be permitted for the agencies that were scheduled for Monday December 11, 2017. But this was met with shouts of no from the Opposition benches. “The Speaker is complicit,” the Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo said. “This is rape of democracy” another opposition member shouted even as the Speaker attempted to maintain order at the level of Committee of Supply, to which he chairs.

Despite major objection on side of the Opposition, the Speaker held fast to his decision. “Honourable Members I am not entertaining questions until we get to Tuesday, on Tuesday’s agencies, members are free to ask questions… I propose to treat with all the agencies that were untreated yesterday (Monday), without debate,” he told the Parliamentarians.

After being repeatedly told that they are not permitted to ask questions on the agencies that were scheduled for consideration on Monday, the Opposition MPs took a decision to walk out of the Chambers for yet another time.

Subsequently, the Capital Expenditure for the Ministry of the President Ministry was approved to the tune of $1.8 billion. Additionally, estimates for the Prime Minister – $839 million; Ministry of Agriculture – $16.8 billion; Ministry of Business – $2.1 billion and the Ministry of Natural Resources – $1.8 billion were also approved without any explanation.

Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira upon exiting the Chamber told reporters that the Speaker’s decision is a threat to Parliamentary Democracy. “We are taking the blows one after another and it is showing that the government doesn’t want transparency, doesn’t want accountability, and in fact what is going on in this Parliament is a threat to Parliamentary Democracy,” she alleged. The opposition members returned in the Chamber when the Committee of Supply had completed the agencies listed under Monday’s schedule and was about to commence the consideration of agencies for Tuesday.

Without basis
Meanwhile, Nagamootoo argued that the opposition’s protest is entirely without basis. He said the Standing orders provided for a maximum of seven days for the consideration of the estimates with the Committee of Supply meeting from 2pm to 10pm for seven days. He said they have decided to meet from 10am to 10pm which accounts for 12 hours per day for five days totaling 60 hours. The Prime Minister added that by a motion moved by him and approved by Assembly the time was regulated to 10 am to 10pm.

“We are meeting four hours more…The opposition has more time to scrutinize the estimates. But in keeping with their policy of non-cooperation, there was a stalemate to settle on the time schedule and they chose instead to come to parliament floor to use this issue for political propaganda,” the Prime Minister told the Guyana Chronicle.

Responding to accusation of the government muzzling the opposition, Mr Nagamootoo said the PPP had raised this issue before. However he said the records would show in the 10th Parliament under Donald Ramotar the National Assembly met for 88 sittings. He said the APNU+AFC Government is just midway in the 11th Parliament and has met 80 times. “This is hardly likely to be a Parliament where they are muzzled because by the time we go into recess for Christmas we will be just four sittings behind the 10th Parliament.”