STATEMENTS made by A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU), Chief Whip, Amna Ally, over the decision on a date for the next sitting of the National Assembly resulted in her being taken to task by Government Chief Whip, Ms. Gail Teixeira, for telling “half-truths”.

The Parliamentary Management Committee has agreed to let the party Whips, from the Government and Opposition, hold discussions to settle on a date for the next sitting of the National Assembly.
Ally has since charged that Teixeira’s disposition toward setting a date is cause for “frustration” and is also a case of “dilly-dallying” on her part.
The Government Chief Whip, in a statement yesterday made it clear that Ally’s “half-truths” to the Guyanese public is of “great” concern.
“I have noticed reports in the media and on the internet quoting statements attributed to Opposition Whip, Ms. Amna Ally with regard to the setting of a date for a sitting of the National Assembly. Ms. Ally’s “frustration” and accusation of my “dilly-dallying” is of little interest to me, but, the fact that she is not telling the truth, or, at best only telling a partial truth to the Guyanese public, is of much greater concern to me,” she said.

TIMEFRAME AGREED
Teixeira also disclosed that there was an understanding that there will be a sitting in the early part of November. “We, then, had a tacit understanding that it would be held in the early part of November,” she said.

“We, then, had a tacit understanding that it (a National Assembly sitting) would be held in the early part of November.”
“As a result of her public statements, I now have had cause to pause and wonder if her statements are in fact, inadvertently or advertently, exposing her party’s intention of having no meaningful engagement with the President and the Government.” – Government Chief Whip, Ms. Gail Teixeira
Teixeira insists agreement made for sitting in early November

Prior to the House going into recess on August 10, there had been no sitting since the first week in July.
The Government Chief Whip made it clear that there is no undue delay in calling a sitting of the House. “We are prepared to convene a sitting at any time,” she stressed.

TALKS
Teixeira explained that she engaged Ally in talks on the Alliance For Change’s (AFC) proposals for a sitting on the dates of October 16, 22 and 24.
The Government Chief Whip said: “We both agreed that these dates were not suitable. She, then, suggested October 30 and within 24 hours called and said on checking her schedule that this date would clash with other planned events of APNU. I agreed to her request.
“…I reminded her and reiterated on more than one occasion that once there was an opening and the President and Leader of the Opposition were engaged in some kind of dialogue that this process should be given a chance to evolve. I told her l would await the outcome of this engagement and advised her to do the same.”
The Government Chief Whip also made it clear that she abided with this understanding and the engagement between the President and the Leader of the Opposition.
“It appears that Ms. Ally, as Opposition Whip, is coming under undue pressure from the AFC and the more belligerent elements of the APNU, and as a result is having a difficult time,” she said.
On that note, Teixeira questioned whether, inadvertently or advertently, Ally has exposed her party’s intention of having no meaningful engagement with the President and the Government.
“I, as a result of her public statements, now have had cause to pause and wonder if her statements are in fact, inadvertently or advertently, exposing her party’s intention of having no meaningful engagement with the President and the Government,” she said.
The Government Chief Whip assured that the delay in setting a date was only due to the overriding interest in allowing the engagement with the Leader of the Opposition to evolve.
“This should not in any way lead the public to believe that the Government is fearful neither of convening a sitting nor in addressing the no confidence motion brought by the AFC,” she stressed.

AFC SPONSORED MOTION
The first inkling the public had that the AFC planned moving a no-confidence motion against the Government was back in mid-June, when party Vice-Chairman Mr. Moses Nagamootoo hinted at it.
He did so by way of an article published in the Stabroek News and headlined, “AFC considering no-confidence motion against Gov’t.” He, however, acknowledged that to do so would require the support of the Main Opposition, APNU.
The AFC’s position was strengthened on Tuesday, August 5, when APNU Leader Brigadier (rtd.) David Granger publicly confirmed that his party was fully behind the no-confidence motion.