THERE has been no sitting of the National Assembly since July 10, 2014, but General-Secretary of the ruling party, Mr. Clement Rohee, contends that Government Members of Parliament (MPs) continue to work.“Government parliamentarians, in or out of Parliament, do work. We have parliamentary work and we have extra-parliamentary work. Most of the ministers are Members of Parliament, they are always in the fields,” he said, on Monday during a press conference, held at Freedom House.
Rohee highlighted that Parliamentary Committees continue to meet, despite the fact that there has not been a sitting since the two-month recess ended on October 10.
“The fact of the matter is that activities are going on in respect to the Parliament…the Government MPs do their parliamentary duties as well. Sitting in the Parliament whenever it is convened to fulfil those responsibilities is only one part of the other responsibilities which our MPs have,” he said.
The PPP General-Secretary pointed out that these other responsibilities, extra-parliamentary efforts, are seen in the ongoing roll-out of the Government of Guyana’s “Because We Care” cash grant initiative.
According to him, this initiative was a result of on- the- ground conversations by Government MPs with the average Guyanese man and woman.
“(At these meetings) people air their views, they want things to be represented, the MP must represent the issue to the minister, or if it is the ministers themselves, then the people want the issue to be taken to Cabinet or take it to the Ministry of Finance or to the President…we do not operate like public servants,” Rohee stressed.
He termed the assertion that Government MPs are not working a “concoction.”
Additionally, the House Speaker, Mr. Raphael Trotman, earlier this week called a sitting on November 6. In terms of the Order Paper for the sitting, he expressed the view that the agenda as of July 10, 2014 is the agenda that the House should resume with, together with any additional matters that have arisen during the recess, and subject, of course, to the requisite period of notice being observed.

(Vanessa Narine)