THE Anti Money Laundering & Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act Amendment Bill, the Firearms Act Amendment Bill and the Evidence Act Amendment Bill which the Parliamentary opposition had refused to approve were allowed second consideration in the Tenth Parliament, and will be dealt with when the National Assembly meets today.Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, spoke on today’s sitting of the National Assembly when he hosted his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing at the Office of the President in Georgetown.

“Guyanese must be aware that the opposition, presented with the identical opportunity of considering resubmitted bills, inflicted the same fate on those bills as when they were initially submitted. The one that we should never forget, and for which Guyanese will forever suffer, is the Amaila Falls Hydropower Bill,” Dr Luncheon remarked.

“Financial papers One, Two and Three again provided an opportunity for the opposition to display their entrenched misconceived posturing that the Parliament performs executive functions in the State of Guyana. (It is) a terrible misconception, one that continues to be embraced by the opposition despite court rulings (and) constitutional provisions to the contrary,” Dr Luncheon said.

He said that, having lost the 2011 general elections, the opposition has resorted to the Tenth Parliament to exercise executive powers that the electorate denied them. “In their grand design, motions, Parliamentary resolutions, have been presented as executive…a ploy that cabinet absolutely and dogmatically rejects. Parliamentary resolutions, motions, cannot ever replace nor substitute for executive authority.”
Luncheon said the government policy consummately deals with contracts, obligations, national development policy, and the image of Guyana, “all of which apparently means very little to the current parliamentary Opposition.
“Recklessness and caprice now characterise their decision-making process. However, a more sinister accompaniment of the opposition’s current behaviour is their refusal to consider, to hear, to listen to the voices of Guyanese.

“First, they rejected hearing the petition of the Private Sector Commission. The Opposition rejected the opportunity to hear the voices, at the time, of their consideration of the Anti Money Laundering Act Amendment Bill. Now, it’s the Cricket Administration Bill and the petition by thousands of cricket lovers in Guyana. Cabinet wonders, and Guyanese should: Can you imagine (their) having unashamedly (and) willfully adopted this parliamentary behaviour in the Opposition without executive power? What could we expect if, heavens forbid, this Opposition ever again retains executive power? What further can we expect?” asked Dr Luncheon.
Written By Telesha Ramnarine