“THE meeting with the Parliamentary parties in opposition and the ministerial team dealing with the budget and the economy would now have to be reprogrammed”, according to Head of the Presidential Dr. Roger Luncheon. He was at the time responding to the question posed by the media on the status of the tripartite talks on the national budget.
According to Dr. Luncheon, Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh has advised that he is in receipt of a correspondence from A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’S shadow Finance Minister Carl Greenidge about setting the date and time for the engagement.
Meanwhile, with regard to the parliamentary inter-party talks, he said the situation demands that dialogue continues.
“The situation demands the body politic investing in this mechanism to ensure that it works”, he said, adding that it could be held accountable for the action of the body politic when the nation is confronted with some of its consequences.
Only last week Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh told the media that the government stands ready and committed to work along with the opposition political parties at the tripartite level, with regard to the crafting of the 2012 national budget.
He said that the work on the budget continues, and government is open to the views and inputs of the opposition parties.
Minister Singh gave the assurance that his side of the National Assembly is committed to working together with opposition political parties in crafting the important document.
Presidential Adviser on Governance and chief whip of the government’s side of the National Assembly, Gail Teixeira, said last week too that the tripartite discussions with the opposition are being threatened by what she deemed “reckless” behaviour displayed in Parliament last Thursday.
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) selectively withheld authorisation of various expenditure items, and bluntly refused to consider financial paper Number 8. They subsequently moved a motion for it to be reviewed and reflect greater transparency, and then re-submitted.
Ms. Teixeira gave the assurance that the government remains committed to the talks with the other side, but as President Donald Ramotar said at the official opening of the 10th Parliament, cooperation and partnership should be exercised.
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) had expressed the view that the tripartite talks appeared to be in jeopardy, citing President Donald Ramotar’s remarks that its engagement in irregular activities led to claims of rigging of the 2011 general elections.