-says joinder parties
-to propose amendment of standing orders
EXISTING standing orders, which govern the operations of the National Assembly, inadvertently impose a restriction on “third parties” like the joinder of the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), A New and United Guyana (ANUG) and The New Movement (TNM), which have been excluded from Parliamentary Committees because their fate lies solely with the party which holds a ‘majority’ in the opposing side of the House.
The displeased joinder party, which has one seat in the National Assembly, has lamented that standing orders, which govern the selection of parliamentary committees, perpetuate the “two party” system by forcing all opposition parties to fall under the discretion of the “opposition leader,” a post which is held by Joseph Harmon of the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC).
“This gives the largest opposition party control over whether the third parties will be given a seat on the parliamentary committees, and insitutionalises an undemocratic system which leaves a significant portion of the electorate unrepresented in the decision-making processes. All voters who have representation in the National Assembly should fairly be represented at the table, and this should be reflected in the standing orders,” the minority opposition said in a statement on Saturday.
Representatives of the parties are particularly displeased because they were exempted from the recently appointed Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reform, which is chaired by Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall.
This decision, they fear, will result in gridlock between the two major parties, something which could have otherwise been averted had there been representation from the third party; the third party is represented in the Parliament by Deputy Speaker, Lenox Shuman.
“Including representation from the smaller parties would have seen greater diversity in views, and undoubtedly, a voice of reason wherever gridlock might arise,” the joinder party said.
In their view, the recent history of Guyana demonstrates that an interlocutor is or ought to be considered to be a vital component of Guyana’s politics.
It is for this reason that the joinder plans to request an amendment of the existing standing orders, to afford third parties the opportunity to be represented on Parliamentary committees.
“No one can fail to see that the political gridlock, which has prevailed for decades in Guyana, will not be resolved unless there is a group that is prepared to hold both institutionalised parties accountable and ensure transparency,” the parties said.
