In Parliament…
A MOTION, in the name of People’s National Congress Reform-One Guyana (PNCR-1G) Parliamentarian Deborah Backer, seeking to question, through counsel, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, before the Committee of Privileges, was deferred in the National Assembly Monday.

The Member of Parliament (MP) is attempting to defend herself against a charge, currently before the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges, that she is guilty of contempt of the House, for making offensive statements about the disciplined forces of Guyana.

Backer is applying for leave, from the House, to have her lawyer interrogate the Minister who referred her to the Committee of Privileges.

At the last October 22 sitting of the Assembly, Minister Singh moved to have Backer referred to the Committee, under Standing Order 32 of the National Assembly.

The issue arose on October 15, during debate on a motion, tabled by Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, to deploy 90 ranks of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to provide security support to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) last November.

In her presentation then, Backer asked whether Guyanese soldiers were going to twin island republic “to torture people”.

Agreeing to refer Backer to the Committee, on the contempt charge, MPs on the Government side expressed the view that her statement was offensive and casts aspersions on the thousands of hard working young Guyanese men and women who serve with distinction in the disciplined forces and their families and, by extension, is an affront to the Guyanese people.

When the Assembly considered referring Backer to the Committee, Speaker Ralph Ramkarran ruled in favour of proceeding with the action which signalled unanimous disapproval of the assertion by her.

Pronouncement
At that time, the Speaker also made a pronouncement that a prima facie case had been established against Backer, clearing the way for the matter to the Committee.

The House, also on Monday, approved the Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2010, which provides for the issuance, from the Consolidated Fund, of sums necessary to meet expenditure not otherwise lawfully charged on it, for the year ending December 31, 2009.

The amount, $8.2 billion, covers expenses of Office of the President, Office of the Prime Minister, Ministries of Finance, Foreign Affairs, Public Service, Amerindian Affairs, Agriculture, Public Works and Communications, Education, Housing and Water, Home Affairs and Health, for that year.

Of the $8.2 billion, $40M will go towards offsetting costs for procuring drugs and medical supplies for Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).