Dr Roger Luncheon
Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon said that the parliamentary opposition is using the National Assembly to exercise executive powers which they were denied of when they lost the 2011 elections.
Dr Luncheon made this statement last Wednesday at his weekly post-Cabinet briefing.
According to the Cabinet secretary, this is shown at every sitting of the National Assembly when the combined opposition refuses to pass or consider key bills which will see the development of Guyana.
He noted that the three bills which the opposition previously refused to approve were allowed to be considered for a second time in the 10th Parliament. These are the Anti- Money Laundering Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/ CFT) Act Amendment Bill, the Firearms Amendment Bill and the Evidence Act Amendment Bill.
“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. One which we should not forget and for which Guyanese will forever suffer is the Amaila Falls Hydro-Power Bill,” the Cabinet secretary said.
Luncheon went on to say that the tabling of financial papers one, two and three was another opportunity for them to display their misconceived belief that the Parliament performs executive functions in Guyana.
He explained that this is a “terrible misconception” which the opposition continues to embrace despite court rulings and constitutional provisions to the country.
False sense of authority
The Cabinet secretary also noted that the parliamentary motions and resolutions have been presented as executive fiat, a ploy that Cabinet absolutely rejects. “Parliamentary resolution and parliamentary motions can never replace nor substitute for executive authority… the government policy consummately deals with contracts with obligations, national development policy, image of Guyana, all of which mean very little to the current parliamentary opposition,” he stated.
Dr Luncheon added that recklessness and caprice have now characterised the opposition’s decision-making process; however, he pointed out that a more sinister aspect of the opposition current behaviour is the refusal to consider, hear and even listen to the voices of the Guyanese people. This, he noted was shown in their refusal to hear the petition of the Private Sector Commission.
“The opposition rejected the opportunity to hear their voices at the time of 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,” Dr Luncheon mentioned.
The Cabinet secretary pondered and asked Guyanese to consider what would happen if the opposition parties are allowed to have executive power given the behaviour which they unashamedly and willfully adopted in Parliament without any power.
