HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon, disclosed yesterday that the recent parliamentary delegation to the United Kingdom had solicited, and been provided with, advice from the UK House of Commons on handling situations similar to those that currently affect the National Assembly of Guyana. He made the disclosure at his weekly media briefing at the Office of the President on Shiv Chanderpaul Drive in Georgetown, ahead of today’s 30th Sitting of the House.

Luncheon said Cabinet viewed the advice as instructive during its discussion on the matter. He noted that Cabinet had several concerns about today’s sitting at Public Buildings.
Firstly, Luncheon said, Cabinet is questioning whether the Opposition would act now on its no-confidence motion on Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Clement Rohee, as there are bills on the Order Paper for today’s parliamentary proceedings which would be personally piloted by that Minister.

Another worry, he related, was if the combined Opposition would use its one-seat majority to elect Members of Parliament (MPs) to chair the specially select committees considering Government made bills and motions, a number of which have been appointed to specially select committees.

The Cabinet Secretary also questioned whether the Opposition would persist with their bills “to which Government has provided clear, unambiguous and consistent notice of unacceptability.”

He said those were some of the issues that Cabinet considered when it met last Tuesday, and these issues may be answered and clarified during the sitting of the National Assembly today.
Luncheon mentioned, as well, that Cabinet noted that the three parliamentary political parties, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC), have agreed to resume meetings shortly.