THE Alliance For Change (AFC) has said that the coalition government is not dodging a parliamentary debate on salary increases for government ministers.

The AFC made the statement yesterday in response to allegations by the Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) that the postponement of the November 12th sitting of the National Assembly is an attempt by the government to avoid debate on a motion on the recent salary adjustments.

“The APNU+AFC coalition is ready to debate any motion from the Opposition, which is playing a game of cat-and-mouse with Parliament, as it first boycotted important sittings, and then, not to lose pay for its MPs, quietly slipped into the House whilst petitioning the court to declare the Parliament illegal,” the AFC said in a press statement.

The AFC warned that it is “armed with cogent facts and statistics that would put the PPP/C to shame for giving itself fat-cat super salaries and perks, for stashing away fabulous sums in secret bank accounts, and for causing the disappearance of vehicles and other state assets, all of which are coming to the public’s attention now with a series of revelations and disclosures.”

Further, the AFC said, this “hullabaloo” over salary adjustments is nothing but a red herring to divert attention from the PPP/C’s destruction of Guyana’s economy. In destroying the country’s economy, the PPP/C, during its reign in office, bankrupted the sugar industry and failed to secure alternative markets for rice when it became aware of the collapse under its rule of the Venezuela deal.

“As a coalition partner, the AFC said, it is fully committed to parliamentary democracy and a functioning House, but recognises that important strategic government business must be given attention in the national interest, particularly at this time when, as a nation, we are organising to secure our national petroleum assets and defend threats to our national sovereignty.”

The AFC said it found the PPP/C hypocritical in its action, pointing out that it was the PPP/C, when faced with a motion of no confidence in 2014, not only postponed the sitting of the National Assembly through prorogation, but shut down the House.

“The PPP was fearful of that motion to the extent that it recklessly prorogued the Parliament, which was derailed for a full 9 months. It was the APNU+AFC coalition government that rescued Parliament and re-convened the Assembly after the polls.”