Subsequent to Guyana being further blacklisted by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) for the non-passage of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, Opposition Leader David Granger is on record saying that the Bill can be passed in 48 hours if the Government abandons its “winner takes all attitude”.

However, the Government has held firmly to the view that swift passage of the AML/CFT is not about winning political points but rather to safeguard the country’s economy and by extension, the livelihoods of its people.

Since its commencement, the Tenth Parliament has, in many instances, invaded Executive territory. The fact that the Government is at the mercy of a one-seat majority Opposition, hardly makes it a winner.

The Opposition has completely taken over the legislative arm; so much so that the Executive is unable to pass a national budget to press forward with its developmental agenda as it is constitutionally mandated to do.

The Opposition has broken all Commonwealth parliamentary precedence; taking the positions of both speaker and deputy speaker.

The PPP/C Government at the 2011 general elections secured 48.6 percent of votes (the most votes gained by a single Party). However, this was not taken into consideration when the Parliamentary Committee of Selection was appointed.

The Government’s proposal of 10 members and a distribution which was mathematically proportionate to the number of seats allotted the three parties individually as provided for in Standing Order 94:1 was rejected. Instead, the Opposition used their majority to establish a committee of nine members (four from the PPP/C, four from the APNU and one from the AFC).

This preposterous configuration has placed the ruling party’s 48.6 percent of votes on equal footing with the APNU’s 40 percent. As a result, the Opposition, albeit combined, has a majority representation in all of the committees including the Economic Services, Social Services, Foreign Relations, and Natural Resources. They also have a majority in special select committees.

A level playing field is alien to the Tenth Parliament and thus far the Executive has been finding itself in one bind after another and the citizens of Guyana are the ones who are made to feel the squeeze. After all, if the Executive’s hands are tied, what can they possibly offer to the people of Guyana?