…hearing of no-confidence motion rests with gov’t
…clerk says Standing Orders silent on requirements

CLERK of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs says that the Standing Orders of the Parliament of Guyana are silent on the requirements of a no-confidence motion, even as he opined that the hearing of such a motion is determined by the government and not the Speaker of the National Assembly.

Isaacs’ comments are contained in a release from his office on Wednesday as he responded to enquiries from the media about the procedure. In the 10th Parliament, a similar motion was moved by the then majority opposition, but before the matter was called the then President Donald Ramotar prorogued Parliament. The current motion was filed by the leader of the opposition against the government which holds a one-seat majority in the House.

In his release, Isaacs said during the past week several persons including the media have contacted him with respect to the procedure which deals with no-confidence motions. He said over the years, he has conducted extensive research on no-confidence motions. “I have observed that no-confidence motions are dealt with differently in various Commonwealth Parliaments. The Standing Orders of the Parliament of Guyana are silent on the requirements of a no-confidence motion. However, Standing Order No. 113 (1) of the National Assembly of the Parliament of Guyana states: “In any matter not herein provided for, resort shall be had to the usage and practice of the Commons Assembly of Parliament of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which shall be followed as far as the same, may be applicable to the Assembly, and not inconsistent with these Standing Orders or with practice of the Assembly.”

According to Isaacs, the 24th Edition of the Parliament Practice of the Commons Assembly of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Erskine May, page 344, states: “From time to time the Opposition puts down a motion on the paper expressing lack of confidence in the Government or otherwise criticizing its general conduct. By established convention the Government always accedes to the demand from the Leader of the Opposition to allot a day for the discussion of a motion tabled by the official Opposition which in the Government’s view, would have the effect of testing the confidence of the House. In allotting a day for this purpose the Government is entitled to have regard for the exigencies of its own business, but a reasonably early day is invariably found….”
Isaacs said against this background in keeping with the British practice, when a motion of no-confidence was brought against the PPP/C government in 2014, having regard to the exigencies of the government’s business, it was published on Notice Paper and dealt with like other Private Members’ motions that require notice. “It was placed on the Order Paper for consideration by the National Assembly twelve (12) days from the day on which the notice was published on a Notice Paper.” “In my view, the day for the hearing of a no-confidence motion is determined by the government and not by the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Parliament of Guyana,” Isaacs asserted.

Jagdeo’s Take
On Monday at a news conference, Jagdeo told reporters that he hopes the Speaker of the National Assembly Dr. Barton Scotland would treat with the no-confidence motion with much professionalism. Jagdeo, while fielding questions from reporters, said while he understands that the no-confidence motion puts the “speaker’s job at risk,” he is responsible not only to the government, but all parliamentarians as well. “We expect that once the speaker was appointed that he has a duty to not only members of the executive, the APNU+AFC coalition, but to all parliamentarians and that he would exercise that duty and responsibility fairly and imperially. We also expect the speaker not to depart from the international practice and norms as it relates to no-confidence motions; that the professionalism of the speaker will prevail,” Jagdeo said.

He can’t win

Questioned on Wednesday as to when the motion is likely to be heard, Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge said: “The Government’s business takes priority over an issue like that. We’ve started on the budget process and therefore it will have to continue.”
He gave his view that the decision by the Opposition Leader to table the motion of no-confidence is laced with ill-intention and destined to be unsuccessful. “The no-confidence motion put by Mr. Jagdeo is really an intention just to give him an opportunity to berate the Government. It has nothing to do with the possibility of winning. He can’t win,” Greenidge said. “It’s really just a device at a time when the Government is [addressing] the budget. The Opposition thinks they’ve done well in Local Government Elections so they’re going to try and change the story, it has nothing to do with realistic opportunities. It has no merit whatsoever.”

Fever of divisiveness

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo while dismissing the no-confidence motion, said the opposition leader has ill motives. “It [the motion] has other motivations, to breed disaffection in the country; to be able to stir the fever of divisiveness that the PPP invested in the communities because I know, I come from Berbice, [and] the level of ethnic division and hate…that they have sown in that community, they have to now find a ‘fig leaf’ to cover their shame of what they did during the campaign. So, they want to show that they have a moral obligation out of these elections — that there was some sort of a referendum in the local government elections—so that they can move to say ipso facto the government should resign,” Nagamootoo said.

He then added: “This is not Donald Ramotar, this is Granger and Nagamootoo. There will be no surrender.” The prime minister said the Speaker of the National Assembly holds the ultimate decision on whether the motion is admissible, especially at a time when the House is moving towards consideration of the budget estimates. Jagdeo was hoping to have the motion debated before presentation of the budget, which is slated for Monday.