– says House Speaker

PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar has directed that steps be taken to convene a sitting of the National Assembly within the next 14 days. However, House Speaker Raphael Trotman contends that while the Head of State’s direction is welcomed, it is unnecessary.

“My view is that on January 9, 2012, the President issued the proclamation for the 10th parliament to commence work on January 12, 2012. A second call to ‘resume’ work is constitutionally unnecessary, but yet welcomed,” he said to the Guyana Chronicle in an invited comment yesterday.
Trotman and the current Administration have differed on who has the authority to call a sitting of the House, which came out of recess on October 10, but had not met since July 10.
His last request for a sitting to be called was refused by the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Sherlock Isaacs, who maintained that the authority to call a sitting, as per Standing Order 8, lies with the Central Government.
Standing Order 8 addressed the grounds on which sittings are called and states clearly where the authority to call such a sitting lies.
The ‘Ordinary Sitting of the Assembly’ is addressed in Standing Order 8 (1), which says: “(1) Save as otherwise provided by the Constitution or resolved by the Assembly upon a motion moved by a Minister, the Assembly may sit every day except Saturdays and Sundays and, unless the Assembly otherwise decide, every adjournment of the Assembly shall be to the next Sitting day.”
Standing Order 8 (2), ‘Sitting convened at the discretion of the Speaker’, adds that: “(2) If, during an adjournment of the Assembly, it is represented to the Speaker by the Government, or the Speaker is of the opinion, that the public interest requires that the Assembly should meet on a day earlier than that to which it stands adjourned, the Speaker may give notice accordingly and the Assembly shall meet at the time stated in such notice. The Clerk shall as soon as possible inform each Member in writing, or telegram or by appropriate electronic means of any such earlier meeting.”

MEETINGS WITH OPPOSITION LEADER
The delay in calling a sitting was due to the ongoing talks between the Head of State and the Opposition Leader, Brigadier (rtd.) David Granger.
Mr. Ramotar on Saturday noted that having been apprised of the Leader of the Opposition’s recent statement in the media with regard to talks between himself and the President, there is no longer any benefit to the country for any further delays in convening a sitting of the National Assembly.
Prior to this, the Parliamentary Management Committee has agreed to let the party Whips, from the Government and Opposition, Ms. Gail Teixeira and Ms. Amna Ally, to hold discussions to settle on a date for the next sitting of the National Assembly.
According to Government Chief Whip, Ms. Gail Teixeira, a date was not agreed at this level, since she abided with the understanding that the engagement between the President and the Leader of the Opposition should be allowed to evolve.
“I reminded her (Ms. Amna Ally) and reiterated on more than one occasion that once there was an opening and the President and Leader of the Opposition were engaged in some kind of dialogue that this process should be given a chance to evolve. I told her l would await the outcome of this engagement and advised her to do the same,” Teixeira said in a prior comment.
Additionally, the Government reiterates its position that the convening of a sitting of the National Assembly must be done in accordance with the Standing Orders and long cherished parliamentary practices.
The Government had a number of pending legislative matters to be brought before the House prior to the annual recess. Further there are important financial papers relating to the development of the country and growth of the economy that need to be urgently addressed.