– HPS Luncheon
THE ruling delivered by Chief Justice Ian Chang in the constitutional motion brought by the ruling Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) on disproportionality in the numerical constitution of the parliamentary select committee has established a basis for the combined parliamentary opposition to continue its disregard of established rules and procedures. This opinion of Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon was aired days after Chief Justice Ian Chang had ruled against a constitutional motion brought before him by the government, challenging the numerical makeup of the parliamentary select committee.
Chang ruled that the court has no jurisdiction in the matter, and that dealing with the motion would be interfering with the inner workings of the National Assembly.
Briefing the media yesterday, Dr Luncheon said: “Still unsettled would be the nature of APNU/AFC alliance, and anticipated efforts to halt the statute-bound composition of the other parliamentary committees.
He added that one would recall that the four sectoral committees have provisions in the constitution that allow for the government to have a majority on those committees.
Luncheon believes that note must be taken of further “vindictive and unprincipled approaches of the alliance”, that undermine the constitution.
He also made reference to the cutting to $1 of the annual appropriation expenditure for entities under the Office of the President and the Ethnic Relations Commission, even as he accused the opposition alliance of flouting the constitution and the powers of the Minister of Finance, which were captured in constitutional provisions.
“The powers allowed the Finance Minister to approve the expenditure for those months in any fiscal year prior to the enactment of an Appropriation Act… In this case, four months of expenditure were authorized by the Minister; and by their majority, (the) APNU/AFC alliance has removed the funding for the four months for the bodies,” the Cabinet Secretary added.
He also stated that he regarded the opposition alliance cuts to the budget in Parliament as more evidence of their recklessness and vengeful attitude, and their disregard for the constitution. The rejection of their course of action is overwhelmingly demonstrated by affected communities and stakeholders across Guyana, Luncheon lamented.
According to the HPS, the explanations and excuses the alliance has offered amount to nothing of significance, since, at the end of the day, he believes that they acted inadvisably.