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TOMORROW’S resumption of Parliament brings with it a cloud of uncertainty in the face of widespread dissension and the deliberate undermining of “Parliamentary democracy” ever since President Donald Ramotar declared open the 10th session of the House of Assembly. As Presidential Advisor on Governance and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Chief Whip in the National Assembly, Ms Gail Teixeira was moved to declare:
“The opposition… are drunk with their one-seat majority, and they are so drunk, mentally and psychologically, that… they are taking Parliament along the road of a gridlock.”
She made the observation late Friday during a live interview with Neaz Subhan, Head of the Government Information Agency (GINA) on the National Communications Network (NCN)’s Channel 11.
The topic under discussion at the time was ‘Expectations of the New Parliamentary Session’, and according to Teixeira, from all appearances, there is every likelihood of a repeat of the “arrogance and disdain” demonstrated in the past.
This caused her to agonize over the irretrievable loss of years of hard work, time and effort spent on reforming the Constitution to allow the country’s “august body” to perpetuate parity between the opposition and the executive, while at the same time allowing the latter to carry out its agenda.
This state of affairs, which Teixeira labelled as “very disappointing,” came about after the opposition political parties got a one-seat majority in the House after the November 28, 2011 general elections.
The ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) won 32 seats in the National Assembly ahead of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) which captured 26 and seven seats respectively.
What this means in essence, Teixeira said, is that “…the government has the single largest bloc of votes in the Parliament. The collaboration/cooperation between the AFC and APNU… without it, there is no one-seat majority; they can exercise that one-seat majority when they can, but they are not a combined, allied opposition… The only way they can have this power to be able to cut the budget and do a range of things… is because of this fiction of a one-seat majority.”
The collaboration has in fact been used by the opposition in a rather vengeful manner, resulting in $21B being slashed from the $192.6B National Budget for 2012, and rejection of allocation to key government sectors that threatened the livelihoods of hundreds of employees.
Key development projects that were poised to catapult Guyana’s economy, such as the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, the Low-Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), and the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project were also denied budgetary allocations as a result of those opposition-led budgetary cuts. Funding for the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) and the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) were reduced to $1.
The selection of both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly from the opposition benches; modifications in proportional representation at the level of parliamentary committees; and the fact that most of the committees, for which the opposition holds the chairmanship, are dysfunctional, Teixeira said, are all in contravention of parliamentary norms in the Commonwealth.
When President Ramotar opened the 10th Parliament in February this year, he called for maturity in the approach to the business of the House, arguing that the absence of a quorum would not be in the best interest of the nation.
Teixeira drew comparisons to what obtained when the PPP/C held the majority, opining that at no point was this advantage ever abused.
“It was respect for the Constitution, respect for the Standing Orders, respect for what Parliament is about, and respect for the fact that the opposition and government had to work together,” she said.
The PPP/C Chief Whip had written the Speaker concerning the discrepancies at reference, and had reiterated the call that he not overlook parliamentary procedures.
Teixeira said without his taking steps to redress the current situation, Guyana’s Parliament could well become the “laughing stock” of the Caribbean.(GINA)
“The opposition… are drunk with their one-seat majority, and they are so drunk, mentally and psychologically, that… they are taking Parliament along the road of a gridlock.”
She made the observation late Friday during a live interview with Neaz Subhan, Head of the Government Information Agency (GINA) on the National Communications Network (NCN)’s Channel 11.
The topic under discussion at the time was ‘Expectations of the New Parliamentary Session’, and according to Teixeira, from all appearances, there is every likelihood of a repeat of the “arrogance and disdain” demonstrated in the past.
This caused her to agonize over the irretrievable loss of years of hard work, time and effort spent on reforming the Constitution to allow the country’s “august body” to perpetuate parity between the opposition and the executive, while at the same time allowing the latter to carry out its agenda.
This state of affairs, which Teixeira labelled as “very disappointing,” came about after the opposition political parties got a one-seat majority in the House after the November 28, 2011 general elections.
The ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) won 32 seats in the National Assembly ahead of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) which captured 26 and seven seats respectively.
What this means in essence, Teixeira said, is that “…the government has the single largest bloc of votes in the Parliament. The collaboration/cooperation between the AFC and APNU… without it, there is no one-seat majority; they can exercise that one-seat majority when they can, but they are not a combined, allied opposition… The only way they can have this power to be able to cut the budget and do a range of things… is because of this fiction of a one-seat majority.”
The collaboration has in fact been used by the opposition in a rather vengeful manner, resulting in $21B being slashed from the $192.6B National Budget for 2012, and rejection of allocation to key government sectors that threatened the livelihoods of hundreds of employees.
Key development projects that were poised to catapult Guyana’s economy, such as the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, the Low-Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), and the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project were also denied budgetary allocations as a result of those opposition-led budgetary cuts. Funding for the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) and the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) were reduced to $1.
The selection of both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly from the opposition benches; modifications in proportional representation at the level of parliamentary committees; and the fact that most of the committees, for which the opposition holds the chairmanship, are dysfunctional, Teixeira said, are all in contravention of parliamentary norms in the Commonwealth.
When President Ramotar opened the 10th Parliament in February this year, he called for maturity in the approach to the business of the House, arguing that the absence of a quorum would not be in the best interest of the nation.
Teixeira drew comparisons to what obtained when the PPP/C held the majority, opining that at no point was this advantage ever abused.
“It was respect for the Constitution, respect for the Standing Orders, respect for what Parliament is about, and respect for the fact that the opposition and government had to work together,” she said.
The PPP/C Chief Whip had written the Speaker concerning the discrepancies at reference, and had reiterated the call that he not overlook parliamentary procedures.
Teixeira said without his taking steps to redress the current situation, Guyana’s Parliament could well become the “laughing stock” of the Caribbean.(GINA)
