Dear Editor,
PARLIAMENTARY democracy is grounded in the principle of the separation of powers between the Legislature and the Executive. The role of a parliamentary opposition to hold the Government accountable and to have its day in the legislature is a fundamental premise guarded in democratic parliaments.In this, the 17 months and 44 sittings of the 11th Parliament of Guyana, the PPPC Parliamentary Opposition has been able to have only four (4) Private Members’ Days, or what is more popularly known as “Opposition Days”, and all after much controversy and battles to actually have these days. These were December 12th, 2015; January 14th, 2016; May 14th, 2016; and August 4th, 2016.
In accordance with the Standing Orders, at every fourth sitting of the National Assembly, Private Members’ Business takes precedence. Constitutional provisions also provide for the manner in which the calculation of sittings is done. Therefore, the November 4th 2016 sitting is in our calculation a Private Members Day.
The Order Paper circulated on the night of October 27th, 2016 gave such precedence to the Parliamentary Opposition’s business. There was no Government Business on the Order Paper. To our surprise, the Parliament Office circulated a Supplementary Order Paper on the night of November 1, 2016, which included a motion on President Granger’s most recent address to the National Assembly, with a suspension motion approved by the Speaker to allow it to be debated at the November 4th sitting.
The Government Chief Whip has asserted that this is a Government Day, and not a Private Members Day. If the latter is so, which we dispute vigorously based on the Standing Orders and the constitution, the Government should be ashamed to have one item alone, which required a suspension motion as it did not have the required 6 days’ notice.
One again, PPPC Parliamentarians are being subjected to the constant battle to have their right to a Private Members Day upheld.
Regards,
BHARRAT JAGDEO
Opposition Leader