GOVERNMENT on Friday dismissed as misleading, statements by the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) that it has violated parliamentary standing orders in the appointment of members to the various sectoral committees. In a statement issued Friday afternoon the Robb Street-based party accused the Administration of “total abandonment of parliamentary democracy, the rejection of traditions, the primacy of the law and Standing Orders, parliamentary customs and practice” following what it deems to be a move to appoint ministers to chair the Parliamentary Sectoral Committees of Economic Reform, Social Services, Foreign Relations and National Resources on Friday.
In its statement, the party said that Minister of Social Cohesion and Government Chief Whip, Amna Ally’s decision to name Minister Volda Lawrence as a member of the Public Accounts Committee along with ministers being appointed to Chair varying committees follows and contradicts “the earlier government resolution to restore the APNU+AFC Government numerical majority on Parliamentary Committees.”
“Today, Friday September 4, 2015, the Government Chief Whip spoke of the so-called “new approach,” the statement said. The party believes that “Parliamentary democracy is now faced with sterner tests from the APNU+AFC coalition Administration.”
However, government’s Chief Whip, Amna Ally told the Guyana Chronicle that the government has done “nothing ultra vires and has checked both the constitution and standing orders” to ensure no rules are broken. Ally noted that the administration is not mandated to follow convention. “No chairman has been identified, only memberships…next Wednesday, we are meeting to elect a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson; the PPP’s statement is misleading.”
In July, the National Assembly passed a motion for the government to be given the majority in four Sectoral Committees. Standing Order No 86 (1) has made provision for the four Sectoral Committees, pursuant to Article 119B of the Constitution. The motion allowed for the government, which holds 33 of the 65 seats in Parliament, to be given the majority in the four Sectoral Committees: Natural Resources Committee, the Economic Services Committee, the Committee of Foreign Relations, and the Committee on Social Services. Standing Order No 86(2) provides that each Sectoral Committee consist of seven members and it should be proportionate to the division of seats in the National Assembly.
However, during the 10th Parliament, the Standing Order was amended to demonstrate Opposition majority and government minority.