A STATEMENT from the Office of the President last evening accused APNU/AFC parliamentary alliance of collaborating on frustrating the implementation of the PPP/C’s executive parliamentary programme. This follows yesterday sitting of the National Assembly when APNU/AFC ‘violated the Constitution’ and a commitment made to work in the interest of all Guyanese.
Following is the text of the statement:
The National Assembly of Guyana, in its third sitting in 2012, has again made a decision that violated the Constitution, the laws of Guyana and a commitment made by the parliamentary political parties during the tripartite talks to work together in the interest of Guyana.
Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh, had tabled on February 10, 2012, Financial Papers No. 7 & 8 for the consideration of the House. The Financial Papers disclosed expenditure made through supplementary provisions by the Administration in fiscal year 2011 in accordance with existing law. The law provided for the minister, at the earliest opportunity subsequently, to present for the consideration of the House the expenditure so incurred.
The initial reactions of the APNU/AFC parliamentary alliance to the February 10 tabling were uncompromisingly hostile, with threats ranging from outright rejection to censure, among others. The alliance continued its rhetoric about unlawful expenditure.
The alliance, in examining the Financial Papers 7 & 8, selectively withheld its authorization of various expenditure items. The principle that the expenditure made by the minister and outlined in the financial papers 7 & 8 in conformity with the existing law was repeatedly rejected by the APNU/AFC parliamentary alliance.
In that context, at the Committee of Supply, the alliance rejected expenditure related to Office of the President procurement of security surveillance goods and services,  expenditure on national events and ceremonies, specifically the national awards and the inauguration of President Ramotar.
Also  rejected at that level was the expenditure for overtime paid to public officers at the General Registrar’s Office, earned during the claims and objections periods leading up to the 2011 general and regional elections.
Most bewildering was the APNU/AFC comprehensive rejection of expenditure associated with the Specialty Hospital construction and site preparation.
Looking ahead, the APNU/AFC alliance seems intent on cherry-picking and rejecting selective items of expenditure.
It is anticipated that they will use their voting strength to  authorise the expenditure for only those items favourably considered at the level of the Committee of Supply, thus rejecting recklessly all the other items of expenditure.
Once again, the APNU/AFC Parliamentary alliance has signalled its intention to continue on the course of confrontation using their combined vote in the National Assembly for partisan political interests. Regrettably, the APNU/AFC combined vote in Parliament has now been used on three consecutive occasions, in two sittings, to undermine constitutionality and to disregard parliamentary norms and traditions.
The very first time, and unparalled in the history of the legislature in Guyana, the APNU/AFC collaborated to have both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker to belong on the same side of the House.
On the second occasion, the APNU/AFC combined vote was used to establish a composition of the Committee of Selection that ignored the constitutional principle of proportionality among the parties therein represented.
In this, the latest and the third time, the APNU/AFC alliance rejected authorizing lawful expenditure by the Administration that was outlined in Financial Papers 7 & 8.
These three consecutive acts have conjured the spectacle of the parliamentary opposition parties collaborating on frustrating the implementation of the PPP/C’s executive parliamentary programme.