Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr Roger Luncheon warned recently that the one-seat majority that the combined opposition hold in Parliament, should not be used by them, as an opportunity to render counter-productive measures for Guyana’s development.
He noted that the sittings of the 10th Parliament thus far, moreso the last one, continues to be a matter of concern for Cabinet. He added that the attempts by the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC) to undo and revise laws, rules, and conventions, took an unprecedented turn on February 16.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon
“Cabinet recognised the ill-advised and not well thought-out intrigues by the coalition that played out on that day and is deeply concerned about the uncertainty of its likely impact,” the HPS said.
Mature judgment and enhanced decision-making were called for by Cabinet in order to chart the way forward, as the preferred approach in dealing with issues surrounding Guyana’s development that was being handled at the level of the National Assembly.
“This spectre of that body unravelling Guyana’s development agenda with ill-conceived actions, Cabinet insisted, must be rejected… and called for more thoughtful engagements at this, the highest level of the land,” the Cabinet secretary said.
He added that the current dispensation in the National Assembly provides an ample chance for the body politic to work collaboratively and imposes the responsibility for opposition parties to commit themselves to working with the administration to maximise the opportunities.
The February 16 sitting during which two papers totalling, Gy$ 2,240,901,071 and Gy$ 3,471,047,823 that were tabled by Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh left the House in a position that was not contemplated in the country’s legal framework of governance.
Some of the objections raised by the opposition with regard to certain expenditures left parliamentarians on the government side stunned.
Financial Paper Seven was debated and amended before being approved, as the opposition refused to support certain provisions that were being sought. During the debate on the second paper, they tabled an amendment for it to be withdrawn and restructured before being re-submitted.
After the sitting, government’s chief whip, Gail Teixeira; Minister Singh; and leader of the house, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds hosted a press conference where they expressed the ruling party’s disappointment over the much feared gridlock, which, only a week ago, President Donald Ramotar warned against in his address to the 10th Parliament was being played out.
Parliament is adjourned until March 15, at which time, the financial papers and the subsequent passing of the Supplementary Bill, will be further discussed.
