ON the news item that AFC and APNU are teaming up to choose the Speaker without involving the PPP, it betrays the talk by the opposition for inter-party cooperation and inclusive governance. The Speaker usually comes from the governing party and the Deputy Speaker from the Opposition.
The incumbent, Mr. Ralph Ramkarran, is a decent individual and ideal for the Speakership. He is a man of incorruptible honesty and integrity and has had 12 years of experience with the opposition not having any issues with him.  But it is understandable that the opposition won’t want to support a Speaker proposed by the ruling party, even though Ramkarran is a professional and a fair-minded person who in the past sided several times with the opposition in his rulings.
The opposition has the majority of MPs to elect their Speaker and has every right to so move, although it won’t be the best move given that the opposition is making demands from the ruling party for shared governance.  The best person from the opposition for the post is Moses Nagamootoo, given his long history of struggle against injustice and his record of being a decent and fair-minded individual.  He will handle the post in a professional manner and the opposition and the PPP should back him if Ramkarran cannot be selected by consensus. Nagamootoo has no axe to grind and he will work with President Ramotar to provide effective governance and law-making. Besides, Nagamootoo has shown that he commands a lot of support among the population by weaning a huge chunk of voters away from the PPP to the opposition AFC creating the hung parliament. He should, therefore, be rewarded with the prestigious post for his competence and skills if unanimous agreement cannot be reached for Ramkarran.