THE Alliance for Change (AFC) Members of Parliament were absent from yesterday’s sitting of the National Assembly.
Instead, AFC Presidential Candidate, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, led a protest outside of the Public Buildings. The handful of AFC supporters protested particularly the delay in the Freedom on Information Bill, as well as the pace of addressing the concerns of bauxite workers.
In an invited comment, Minister of Labour Mr. Manzoor Nadir said that the stakeholders in the matter concerning the bauxite workers are engaged in discussions to come to a resolution.
Meanwhile, in the National Assembly, Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform – One Guyana (PNCR-1G), Mr. Robert Corbin, continued his own protest at the delay in bringing the Freedom of Information Bill, as well as several other pieces of legislation.
He said that there needs to be prioritising and opined that the current administration is demonstrating a unilateral approach in deciding on the agenda to be brought to the National Assembly.
Government MP, Mr. Manzoor Nadir, acknowledged that there have been delays, but called for fair representation of the situation at hand.
Nadir stressed that the delays have been because the Bills are in Select Committee and are being considered, giving the PNCR-1G’s opinions the respect due as a major stakeholder in the National Assembly.
Shadow Finance Minister Mrs. Volda Lawrence supported her colleague and questioned the importance of the several other bills.
She named the Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2009, the Fiscal Transfers Bill 2009, the Municipal and District Councils (Amendment) Bill 2009 and the Broadcasting Bill 2010.
Lawrence pointed out that the Prime Minister had indicated to the Leader of the Opposition that the Freedom of Information Bill would be bought to the House in January, but that was not done.
Advisor to the President, MP Gail Teixeira, maintained that the Bills will come and pointed out that the Freedom of Information Bill was delayed because of the amendments that needed to be done, so that the Bill would adequately address what is happening in the Guyana context.
The Presidential Advisor pointed out that the current administration wants Bills like the Broadcasting Bill 2010 just as much as the Opposition.
“We want the same things,” she said.
Teixeira pointed out that the times are increasingly changing with rapid improvements to technology, all of which any Bill brought to the House must take into consideration.
She stressed that wide consultations are a must.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, adding his bit, explained that all the Bills that have been delayed are not before the House because there is not enough accord to do so and because of resistance by the main Opposition to do so.