…vow to tackle issues affecting youth, public servants

“IT wouldn’t be the first time that I am doing this, so I am very comfortable,” were the words new Member of Parliament, Mervyn Williams, who has replaced Joseph Harmon, the

former Minister of State who resigned from the house due to his dual citizenship.
“I am both honoured and humbled by the call to government. I believe coming in as MP, the scope for making a more meaningful contribution to my country is wider,” Williams told the Guyana Chronicle. He added: “I can use my capacity and work towards development in furtherance of the vision of the good life, and to support all government policies and carry out my functions. I come with experience, and the experience will come in handy. It’s an

additional responsibility, but I am prepared to work.”
Williams was one of four new MPs who took the oath of office on Friday afternoon in the House, replacing Harmon, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge and former ministers of Public Service and Business respectively, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine and Dominic Gaskin. The replacements in addition to Williams are; Donna Mathoo; Reynard Ward and Tabitha Sarabo-Halley.

Currently serving as Ministerial Adviser to Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, Williams previously served as an MP in the ninth Parliament 2006-2011. Over the years he has held several crucial positions within his party – People’s National Congress Reform, including a member of the powerful 15-man Central Executive Committee in 2007.

During his earlier tenure in Parliament, Williams served as vice-chairman alternate for the Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources and also the shadow agriculture minister. In addition, he served on several other parliamentary committees and was one time Chairman of the PNCR Region Three Regional Committee. Williams, who has represented Guyana on a number of international forums including the United Nations Forum on Indigenous Peoples’ issues, is currently serving as director on four state boards namely: National Insurance Scheme; Guyana Forestry Commission; Guyana National Newspapers Limited and the Guyana Water Inc.

GOV’T BELIEVES IN YOUTH
Offering comments following the Sitting, Sarabo-Halley and Ward stated that their appointment as MPs speaks volumes to the importance government places on youth leadership. “I think it is a good sign that the government believes that young people, too, can fulfil their mandate,” Sarabo-Halley, a University of Guyana Lecturer and Chairperson of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) said. “As a person who has been involved in politics for a while and has been serving for a while, it’s not an overwhelming feeling because I’ve been serving in various capacities but this is just an opportunity for me to now step it up to a new level and at a greater capacity.” She hopes to address the grievances of public servants racked up over the years and this will be placed on her front burner once formally appointed Minister of Public Service.

Meanwhile, Ward commented: “Young people have never been left out. We were always there within the system, maybe not in the forefront, but in the background we’ve been consulted on several occasions to give our ideas to make this coalition better.” The 32-year-old is a farmer born and raised on the East Bank of Berbice and hopes to address agricultural issues, rural-urban migration, youth empowerment and job creation. Outside on the corridor Mathoo, the Managing Director for the National Communications Network (NCN) Berbice Branch, said that she looks forward to representing women on issues such as domestic violence. “I feel very humbled. I have the opportunity to continue to serve my people….I was serving regionally but I know I can do more here and I can make an impact here for my fellow women and youths,” she said optimistically.

Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, and Speaker of the National Assembly,
Dr. Barton Scotland, both welcomed all the new MPs to the National Assembly and extended best wishes. “This is good for everyone. In fact, I am also seeing a kind of ‘generational movement’. Many young persons are coming into the Cabinet, government and Parliament so, for us in the coalition, I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for us to show that we’re capable of renewing and moving forward,” the prime minister said.

Friday’s sitting was the second since the December 21, 2018 no-conference motion, which was initially upheld by the Speaker and the High Court, but later invalidated by the Court of Appeal. The matter is now before the Caribbean Court of Justice for final adjudication.

Dr. Scotland said the swearing in of the MPs was in keeping with the Constitutional seating requirements of the House following the resignations of the four ministers. According to the Speaker, the vacancy for the MP position came about following his receipt of the resignation letters of former Ministers Harmon, Greenidge and Gaskin on April 25, 2019 and Dr. Roopnaraine on April 4, 2019. In each case, the new MPs were extracted from the A Partnership for National Unity Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) list of candidates and declared by the Elections Commission to be elected members of the National Assembly.

At the sitting, the Speaker also announced his receipt of the resignation letters from People’s Progressive Party (PPP) MPs Gail Teixeira, Odinga Lumumba and Adrian Anamayah.

He called on the opposition, which stayed away from the sitting, to make known the names of individuals selected to fill the vacancies on their side of the House.