PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar’s decision to exercise his constitutional power if Parliament cannot deal with matters that are of outmost importance to the nation is leading the way to a mature, developed and considered view of what is good for the people of Guyana. This view was expressed by Education Minister, Priya Manickchand who is hopeful that this same kind of maturity will prevail in Parliament on Monday.The Opposition believes that the statement made by the President in a recent address to the nation of his options if the Opposition proceeds with its no confidence was “cowardly” and the PPP is weak and fearful.

Speaking on a television programme on Television Guyana (TVG), along with PPP/C Members of Parliament, Manzoor Nadir and Odinga Lumumba, on Saturday, Minister Manickchand expressed disappointment with some members of the Opposition.
Speaking on the no-confidence motion against the Government, she said, “We have to find a mature way around this ….let us say we go back to an election tomorrow, and the people of Guyana said, you know what, you all haven’t learned your lesson, go back and learn how to work and govern together in the interest of this nation, are we going to call an election next year or the following year?” She said that no country can sustain growth and development if every year there is an election.
Minister Manickchand added that the hours ahead of Monday (today) will provide an incredible amount of time to let sense prevail, get back to the more mature statesman/woman like behaviour that should be seen amongst leaders.
Leader of the Opposition, David Granger, said that the time for talking is over and he is supporting the Alliance For Change’s no-confidence motion which appears on today’s Order Paper. Minister Manickchand said that the Government is satisfied that it had explored all its options, and if those don’t work, Government is ready to do what it has to.
“People understand why we are here, we have been meeting and talking with them and so we are not afraid. The easier thing to do would be to say, forget all of this, let’s head into an election, but that might not be the most responsible, prudent, developmentally oriented thing to do, it might not be what is best for Guyana,” she reiterated.
Guyana has had various different configurations. In the 9th Parliament, more than nine pieces of laws were passed unanimously.
She said that when the Government went into the 10th Parliament in 2011, it understood the circumstances were going to be different, given that it has never experienced a minority in Parliament.
However, she said that Government was optimistic that the two sides could have worked together, and put the interest of the people at heart.
“When Guyanese went to the poll in 2011, they said this is what they wanted… I don’t think they expected this kind of infantile behaviour, I think they expected of us to find a way to work together to make their lives better,” Minister Manickchand pointed out.
She mentioned Guyana’s first comprehensive education bill which was tabled in Parliament, and which will allow parents the right to see what is going on in the class room, direct the way forward with regard to private and public education, and define the rights of children, parents and teachers. This, she said, is in jeopardy and Government will be failing if it doesn’t find a way forward.

“There is so much scope to work together if we could get rid of this egotistical grab for power. I believe that the entire Parliament has this incredible mix of experienced men and women,” Minister Manickchand further noted.
Lumumba, who expressed similar sentiments, said that the Opposition has misinterpreted the term “one seat majority.”
He used America as an example and how the Republicans have been working with President Obama and the country continues to function, but in Guyana’s case, it is chaos.
“Once the Opposition does not agree with something, they block it, and that’s not the role of the Opposition, their role is to point out defects in legislation and how it is administered…how can you say a Government can’t manage a country when the Government has a record of creating so many roads, buildings, schools and health centres, coming from the bottom in the Caribbean in education to the top at CXC. We had to be doing something right!” Lumumba stated.
He said that the Opposition’s behaviour is deliberate political recklessness and a thirst for power. Lumumba said that the PPP has never been weak as it has a history of combating dictatorship under the PNC Government.
“We are not taking the democratic right from anyone, the President had made it very clear, he intends to have an election in an orderly manner…he is demonstrating his constructive authority that was created  by the PNC under Burnham…we did not make this Constitution that (David) Granger never objected to. I would not be with this Government if they chose to oppress people in this country and deny them the right to apply or to work with a democratic system,” Lumumba reiterated.
Meanwhile, Nadir said that the 10th Parliament has been severely tested, and to get on with the issue of national development, cohesion has been a challenging task dealing with a very stubborn Opposition.
There is some amount of dissatisfaction amongst the people, he said. The Opposition has never said anything good that the Government has done. “Certainly we have enough time to bring back political stability; we should look at the PPP/C’s record, despite the challenges, we have always put the interest of the people first.”
The eight years of consecutive growth the country has had- the amount of wealth that has accumulated, which has put the Government in a position to invest directly into the lives of the people- is testimony that the PPP/C Administration has been moving Guyana forward, he stated. (GINA)