PNCR walk out of Parliament
GENERAL Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and Member of Parliament Donald Ramotar has deemed the walk out by the leading opposition party, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) yesterday from the National Assembly as ‘totally unjustified’.

Mr. Donald Ramotar (at right) with Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and Ms. Gail Teixeira at yesterday’s press conference at Parliament Buildings.

The denial of a motion put forth by Leader of the Opposition and PNCR Member of Parliament, Robert Corbin, by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr. Ralph Ramkarran, yesterday sparked a walkout by the leader and other parliamentarians on his side of the House, as the set of law books on the opposition side of the House were thrown to the ground.

Ramkarran, disallowing the motion which sought to have heard issues that the party deemed important and urgent, advised the opposition leader that the matters sought to be raised are based on press reports that are unsubstantiated.

He further pointed out the matters raised by the motion must not be offered when facts are in dispute or before they are available.

The motion which requested leave to move an adjournment of the proceeding of the National Assembly to discuss definite matters of urgent public importance was also turned down on the grounds that the matters outlined in the motion were not urgent, as they were matters arising out of continuing proceedings elsewhere.

Speaking to the media about the action taken by the PNC, Ramotar said, “The Speaker cited authorities to show that this was not a urgent matter, but also told them that this matter could be debated in the National Assembly by another kind of motion,” he stated.

“The disrespect for the laws of this country by him (Corbin) throwing down the law books and so forth is abominable to say the least, when the Speaker told him that he could have an opportunity to debate the matter,” he noted.

Also, observing that they are now making Ronald Waddell to be a talk show host, Ramotar said, “If they are taking the line about Waddell in the court in the US, they should also take the whole statement that this man Vaughn is making, who said that he was part of the criminal gang in Buxton, part of the murderous criminal gang in Buxton.”

“But now they want to make him (Waddell) “an angel” to say that he is a talk show host,” Ramotar observed.

He reminded that the AFC is essentially a breakaway from the PNC and the Leader of the AFC was part of the Executive of the PNC “when the crime situation started up in this country in 2002, with the jailbreak by the five criminal escapees”

“So maybe a lot of people are getting very nervous about where this thing could very well lead to. I will also like to believe that part of the reasons for this kind of behaviour that we witnessed today by the PNC – part of this has to do with the investigation of the fire that destroyed the Ministry of Health recently,” he told reporters.

“Because we know that the PNC’s whole history has been a history of being deeply immersed in criminal activities”, he noted.

He also alluded to the recent tape where the Chairman of the PNCR was heard thanking the former Commissioner of Police “for diverting attention of the links with the PNC and the criminal gang that had just killed eight people on the East Bank of Demerara.

“The behaviour of the PNC this afternoon it was totally unjustified. Nobody stopped them from having this matter aired. They were told how they could do it but they walked out,” he repeated.

Fellow PPP Member of Parliament Gail Texeira, alluding to the Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) Bill that was tabled and passed at yesterday’s sitting, noted, “This appears to be that the PNC does not wish or it is not in a hurry to have Local Government Elections in this country.”

“Because this is the critical bill that will allow GECOM to do much of the work in preparation for Local Government Elections, whether GECOM is able to have it before the end of this year or early next year – that is not issue,” she pointed out.

She explained that the Elections Commission cannot move in certain areas unless this bill is enacted by the Parliament of Guyana.

“It went through the Committee (Special Select Committee) and therefore I am adding to what Mr. Ramotar is saying, because clearly the PNC does not seem to be in a hurry for Local Government Elections at all,” she observed.

The other bills, the Fiscal Transfer Bill and the Local Government Commission Bill have to do with what happens once Local Government Elections are held.

“These are bills that are to do with political assurance and that is how we have agreed that we will do them, that is why they are all before one Select Committee so that the PNC and the opposition have an assurance that we are not trying to be mischievous and just bring the number one bill and not the others,” she explained.

She said the Local Government Commission Bill is already finished and the report has to be concluded, and if possible, can be tabled next week.

“But that is not critical to Local Government Elections. The Fiscal Transfer is the one where there are differences of use and that will take time,” she also stressed.

Also, she appealed to the media to be careful, cautious, responsible and “not to be reckless” in their reporting of matters.

“It is absurd that a matter in a foreign jurisdiction which is not complete is being castigated and placed in the media, and reported to the Guyanese people, as if it is God’s word come down to the earth,” she observed.

“I am asking you publicly, as members of the media, to behave in a responsible, ethical manner on all these issues,” she urged.

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, emphasising what his colleagues stated, also appealed, “The media must consider what it is doing and saying, and present its information in ways that are not reckless.”