House defers Wildlife and Cricket Administration Bills

TWO bills were deferred by the National Assembly on Thursday evening when they came up for consideration.Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud, moved the motion to defer the Wildlife Import and Export Bill 2013, which was slated for its second reading. That bill is intended to regulate international trade of Guyana’s wildlife, and to enable Guyana to fulfil its obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, Washington, 1973
The Guyana Cricket Administration Bill 2012 was again deferred. That Bill was listed on the Parliamentary Order Paper in the name of Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, who was absent from Thursday’s sitting. It looks at making provisions for the incorporation of autonomous national cricket administration organisations in Guyana, and to provide for other related matters.
The bill was tabled by government in December 2012 in a bid to end the impasse over the national game. It provides constitutions for the GCB and the Demerara, Berbice and Essequibo Cricket Boards; and is divided into five parts, with one schedule addressing the autonomy of the respective boards.
That bill was the subject of much discussion by critical stakeholders within the cricket fraternity, and was reviewed by a Special Select Committee of the National Assembly of Guyana.
A year after it was initially tabled, the combined Opposition voted against a petition presented by government Member of Parliament (MP) Odinga Lumumba on behalf of the constituent members and stakeholders of cricket, which requested that the National Assembly expedite the passage of the Guyana Cricket Administration Bill 2012 — Bill No 31 of 2012.
The petitioners, who numbered more than 30, said they were convinced that expediting the bill was the only solution to resolving the cricket crisis, and to preclude the possibility of cricket being used as a conduit for laundering money.
Government’s Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, stressed that the public has a right to be represented in the House, and noted that it was the Clerk’s role to determine whether motions could be allowed in the National Assembly.
Both bills were deferred to a sitting in the near future.

(Vanessa Narine)

 

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