SPEAKING with the state media after the first session of Parliament yesterday, Government’s Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, said the combined opposition’s move to suspend the Standing Orders of the National Assembly is an act of ‘bullyism’ which is creating anarchy.

“This is sheer anarchy and bullyism of the vote of one that, by what Mr. Basil Williams did, is in the middle of the Government business to intercede, suspend the Standing Orders, and to be able to force Mr. Granger’s motion on Minister Rohee. The debate now is on the procedural issues to do with the motion, which,  in our view is inadmissible, and in the minds of many lawyers, too, is inadmissible,” she asserted.

Teixeira emphasized that a matter that is before the court cannot be discussed in Parliament. She noted that former Speaker Mr. Ralph Ramkarran ruled on this matter several times, and that she even quoted one of those cases when she was on the floor during the first session.

“We are now, I believe, in very treacherous waters, because it means that the threat will always be there for the Government, that when it brings its business, they (the parliamentary Opposition)  can intercede and overturn the Standing Orders and bully their way to bring whatever business they want,” she declared.

Teixeira alluded to the fact that it is “sacrosanct” in every legislature of the world that Government business takes precedence on every day, except the day that is for private members’ business. She also stressed that yesterday was not that day.

According to the government’s Chief Whip, it is recognized that even in governments where there is a minority versus an opposition, the Government’s business still takes precedence because the Government has been elected lawfully and democratically.
“This charade in this Parliament that has two parties saying that they have the majority they have because they are two parties, they have 26 and 7 making 33 (seats). But this is sheer bullyism, and it is treachery on the part of the opposition parties,” she declared.

Teixeira also noted that, up to that point in time,  it was still early in the day, as the second session had not yet commenced; but she said she hopes that the speaker would do what is principled and right, and stand up to protect the standing orders in the constitution of the country.

“If he does not, then we are even in worse waters than we are at the present time. Parliaments are about rules and Standing Orders that guide and have evolved over hundreds of years,” she noted.

Teixeira related that the behaviour of the opposition in Parliament yesterday was extremely dangerous. She further reiterated that it is anarchy, and not what democracy means.
She said she was waiting to see how it evolved after the break, but she believes that the Opposition has gone way beyond being reckless and irresponsible. According to her, the House was now into such anarchy that members do not even know what Standing Orders would be invoked.

The speaker, she explained, had advised that when Standing Orders are suspended, those orders have to be named.

“It is not all the Standing Orders that are removed, unless you name all. They were not all named, yet the Speaker said that this means all the Standing Orders. Well, I want to see what’s going to happen later on, because if the Speaker is saying that, then what grounds are we standing on?

“There are no Standing Orders right now, so you’re basically (into) anarchy,” Teixeira argued.

Nevertheless, she maintained that the Government would continue to fight, adding that they have struggled against colonialism, against rigged elections, and democracy; and, in the last 20 years, to build democracy in Guyana.

“We will go down to our dying day fighting to keep the democracy in this country, which is embryonic; and we’ve been building it over the last 20 years. It’s not perfect, but what we have in place in Parliament in (the) constitution is far advanced than in many other countries, and to see it today unravelling is extremely disturbing,” she said.

PULL QUOTE: 
“We will go down to our dying day fighting to keep the democracy in this country, which is embryonic; and we’ve been building it over the last 20 years. It’s not perfect, but what we have in place in Parliament in (the) constitution is far advanced than in many other countries, and to see it today unravelling is extremely disturbing.” – Gail Teixeira

PULL QUOTE:
“We are now, I believe, in very treacherous waters, because it means that the threat will always be there for the Government, that when it brings its business, they (the parliamentary Opposition)  can intercede and overturn the Standing Orders and bully their way to bring whatever business they want.”  – Teixeira