.png)
GOVERNMENT has expressed its disapproval of Speaker Raphael Trotman’s continued disregard for the Standing Orders which grows with each sitting of the House since the commencement of the Tenth Parliament. Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon, at his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing, said that the only thing that is certain as far as the Parliament is concerned is the cloud of uncertainty that continues to prevail.
“The most gross was the Speaker’s ruling that the House could, would and did silence a member, Minister Rohee, while awaiting a decision by the same House to do so. In essence, even before the decision was made by the House to gag the Minister, the Speaker ruled that he be so gagged,” the HPS stated.
The HPS expressed little optimism for the next planned sitting of the House on December 17, in light of the “weird” logic that seems to be prevailing in the Tenth Parliament.
He said that the next sitting that would have normally given precedence to the parliamentary minority ought to be given to address government’s business, and noted that, “the Speaker’s ruling over the first and second sessions of the Tenth Parliament has indeed upset the convention.”
Instead, the agenda for the next sitting has Opposition Motions and Bills that would be given precedence over Government’s business, and will be debated and subjected to the Speaker’s ruling on their admissibility. These include the Clerk of the National Assembly Bill and a Motion by APNU member, Carl Greenidge.
Nevertheless, government will be tabling supplementary papers as well as the long-awaited Cricket Bill.
The second reading of the Deeds Registry, Business Registration, and the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bills may have to continue to await another sitting based on the uncertainty of Parliamentary proceedings.
At the last sitting of the House, the Speaker ruled that the Opposition’s motion to prevent Minister Rohee from speaking in the National Assembly be referred to the Privileges Committee and that any bill brought to the House in the interim by the said Minister will not be entertained.
Notwithstanding this, government is fully prepared to participate in the deliberations. Notably, the PPP/C representation on that Committee includes Minister Rohee himself.
A motion was also been filed in the High Court by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall on November 27 to have the Speaker’s ruling declared unlawful and unconstitutional, since he has no power whatsoever under the Standing Orders, the Laws of Guyana, or the Constitution to impose a prohibition on a member of the National Assembly. (GINA)
“The most gross was the Speaker’s ruling that the House could, would and did silence a member, Minister Rohee, while awaiting a decision by the same House to do so. In essence, even before the decision was made by the House to gag the Minister, the Speaker ruled that he be so gagged,” the HPS stated.
The HPS expressed little optimism for the next planned sitting of the House on December 17, in light of the “weird” logic that seems to be prevailing in the Tenth Parliament.
He said that the next sitting that would have normally given precedence to the parliamentary minority ought to be given to address government’s business, and noted that, “the Speaker’s ruling over the first and second sessions of the Tenth Parliament has indeed upset the convention.”
Instead, the agenda for the next sitting has Opposition Motions and Bills that would be given precedence over Government’s business, and will be debated and subjected to the Speaker’s ruling on their admissibility. These include the Clerk of the National Assembly Bill and a Motion by APNU member, Carl Greenidge.
Nevertheless, government will be tabling supplementary papers as well as the long-awaited Cricket Bill.
The second reading of the Deeds Registry, Business Registration, and the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bills may have to continue to await another sitting based on the uncertainty of Parliamentary proceedings.
At the last sitting of the House, the Speaker ruled that the Opposition’s motion to prevent Minister Rohee from speaking in the National Assembly be referred to the Privileges Committee and that any bill brought to the House in the interim by the said Minister will not be entertained.
Notwithstanding this, government is fully prepared to participate in the deliberations. Notably, the PPP/C representation on that Committee includes Minister Rohee himself.
A motion was also been filed in the High Court by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall on November 27 to have the Speaker’s ruling declared unlawful and unconstitutional, since he has no power whatsoever under the Standing Orders, the Laws of Guyana, or the Constitution to impose a prohibition on a member of the National Assembly. (GINA)
