– Harmon maintains administration legal, functional

AS opposed to the traditional Cabinet meetings, the government has resorted to a Ministerial Plenary to discuss national issues in light of the no-confidence vote.

The plenary is not new to the government, since it was convened six times last year to deal with matters of national importance. “The plenary includes all ministers, even those who are not part of the Cabinet…the plenary is usually held once a month, while cabinet is held every week,” said Minister of State Joseph Harmon during a press briefing on Friday.

The plenary was convened following the ruling of Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire, who upheld the Speaker’s decision that the no- confidence motion was validly passed and Cabinet is separate from government and should resign.

“Since the judgment of the court with respect to Cabinet was appealed and application for a stay of judgment passed by the chief justice, we have not held Cabinet meetings but, the Cabinet plenaries are chaired by the President and ministers,” said Harmon. He added that government is legal and functional, because there is a President and government which were elected by the people to run the nation’s affairs for the next five years.

He contended that the government did not usurp power, but was elected and would therefore respect and utilise all remedies in the laws and constitution. Minister Harmon said the plenary is protected under the constitution, in the sense that all ministers are appointed by the President to assist him in the execution of his duties by performing functions within the various ministries. He believes that a minister who is sitting in the plenary has the full authority of the government.

“The President will remain president until there is an election…you need to accept that article 106 (7) says there is a specific time within which it could be called and there are provisions for an extension,” he posited. He added that the matter is in court and it would be premature for the President to call an election while the matter is still engaging the court.

The plenary has given the go-ahead for the award of several multi-million dollar contracts, noting that the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) determines the most suitable contractor, and this was sent to Cabinet for its no-objection.

Among the projects noted by the plenary were the $18.1 million contract which was awarded to Linkup for construction of Smart Stops in nine municipalities- smart stops are bus sheds with wifi which is solar powered; $64.1 million for the rehabilitation of pump stations in Rose Hall; US$104,500 for individual consultancies for local content in oil and gas; and $114 million for the construction of practical instruction departments at the North West Secondary and the Bartica Practical Institution.