Opposition must now identify the way forward
– HPS
HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon, on Wednesday,said that the way in which the opposition motions were resolved and got approval during the May 10 sitting of the National Assembly, is a reflection of the alliance showing that they are in control of  Parliament. “Their actions are also attempts to teach the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic Administration a lesson,” he told the media at his post-Cabinet briefing, in Office of the President, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown.
Luncheon was referring to two motions tabled by A Partnership For National Unity (APNU), in the name of shadow Finance Minister Carl Greenidge about Hansards for the period 1985 to 1992 and the courts, both of  which were approved after hours of lengthy debate in the House.
The HPS said, apart from the irrationality of the opposition’s unwritten sentiments, Guyanese must be wondering about how far they will go and what would be the eventual impact on development in Guyana and the body politic.
“Now that the opposition alliance has rejected government’s position, they will now have to identify the way forward, the way in which their intentions behind the motions would be achieved, particularly in the face of government’s contentions about those motions,” Luncheon posited.
He said the content and argumentation of the opposition during the debate on the motions, particularly, on the handling of expenditure, has provided apt examples of their fixation and control and teaching the government a lesson.
According to the HPS, the belated reservations of the Speaker, about the way forward and the implementation of those motions, is, indeed, reflective of how unconcerned the opposition is about the consequences.
With regard to the budget cuts, Luncheon opined that they are appropriate examples of how unconcerned the opposition is about the Guyanese people.
“How could APNU and the AFC explain their assault on the constitution by rejecting its stipulated provision for the Finance Minister to authorise withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund for four months or until an Appropriation Act is passed for a fiscal year?” he asked.
Luncheon said the government is of the view that the constitutional provision has been hallowed, but that shows precisely how the opposition cuts were designed and resulted. It believes that the parliamentary alliance is making a law to violate the constitution.
The Administration is contending that APNU and the AFC cannot ignore the consequences of their act.