It is not surprising that the governing party in the National Assembly has moved to the High Court for a ruling on the matter surrounding the Committee of Supply’s dealing with the consideration of Financial Papers 7 and 8 of 2011.
We are not surprised because it is as clear as daylight that ever since the infantile behaviour by the two opposition parties in tripartite discussions with the President, both the APNU– 26 seats– and the AFC with 7 seats in the National Assembly,  used their one-seat advantage to railroad important motions and bills of interest to the development process in the country.
The expected, uncharacteristic mindsets of the two opposition parties have already been tested to the core with their handling of the selection of both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly in the first instance, and then with the composition of the essential Select committees. In all democracies, Select Committees are legislative committees which are set up with the primary aim of deliberating on complex issues and to examine and report on a specific area of a bill or issue.
The Select Committees are therefore made up of members of parliament, and in the case of Guyana, the governing PPP/Civic, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the much smaller Alliance For Change, are supposed to make up these very important committees. It should be pointed out here that the two opposition parties sit as separate entities in the House with the ruling party occupying the majority seats.
The last general and regional elections, like the previous ones, were fought under the system of proportional representation (PR), and following the results of the November 28 elections, the three parties in the House were allocated seats proportionately and in accordance with the system of Proportional Representation—a system that was imposed on Guyana by the then Secretary of State in the British Government, Duncan Sandys. The people recall that the 1964 elections were the first elections in the then British Guiana which were held under the PR system, and that system has remained until now, some 47 years after.
It is indeed rather strange that while our elected representatives have gained their parliamentary seats by way of the PR system, that very system which in the eyes of the British was best for Guyana then, is not being applied for the formulation of the Select Committees. This is unacceptable and outrageous, as because of their combined one-seat advantage in the National Assembly, the opposition parties are foisting a majority on themselves on all the Select Committees. The ruling PPP/C has quite rightly refused to appoint their nominees on these committees.(What is good for the goose, is good for the gander).
The opposition’s eccentric attitude in dealing with the consideration of Financial Papers Numbers 7 and 8 of 2011 during the first sitting of the 10th sitting of the National Assembly, is a clear indication of their will to use their self-imposed clout to make life miserable for the government. But both opposition parties have to understand that every attempt they make at crippling the government, will have a resulting crippling effect on their supporters.
It is therefore a pity that these very supporters are not allowed to vent their concerns with the hierarchy of their parties, on matters that they have pronounced on with total disregard for the deleterious effects that are brought to bear on them (supporters).
Gone are the days of  Frank and Jessie James, John Dillinger and  Al Capone, gangsters of the American Wild West, and the opposition must not believe that they would be allowed to relive those times in a modern-day Guyanese parliament. There are lawful, legal avenues that are open to Guyanese under our democracy, and the ruling party has resorted to that avenue for redress.
Cabinet Secretary, Roger Luncheon, has no doubt in his mind that under the present circumstances, resorting to the High Court is the best option. The majority of the people also believe that this course of action should be expedited as the opposition is hell bent on holding back progress.