Packed agenda for Parliamentary sitting

With President Donald Ramotar setting Monday, November 10 for the first post-recess sitting, the Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaac on Wednesday moved to notify the 65-Member Parliament, supplying each with the Order Paper.

A packed agenda has been set for the 89th Sitting of the National Assembly but on the 33-page Order Paper, the No-Confidence Motion against the Government of Guyana has found itself down at the bottom of Page 23.

In addition to the presentation of 21 papers and reports by Members of the House, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) are slated to ask 19 questions with sub-questions on issues ranging from the University of Guyana Student Loan Fund, the Broadcasting of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) press conferences on the National Communications Network (NCN) to the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry and Land Allocation.

In addition to the trail of questions, the Government will be presenting the Food Safety Bill and the Motor Vehicles Insurance Amendment Bill for their first readings while the Education Bill and the Land Surveyors Bill will be read for a second time. Additionally, a motion would be put by Government for the consideration of Financial Paper Number 1/2014- Statement of Excess on the Current and Capital Estimates.

Notably, the Telecommunications Bill and the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill though listed, will not be dealt with during this upcoming sitting.

Following all these items, the No-Confidence Motion tabled by the Alliance For Change (AFC) would surface. The AFC had signalled its intention to suspend the Standing Order, paving the way for the No-Confidence Motion to be given priority.

AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan told Guyana Times International that his party will be proceeding with the motion during the first sitting.

“It will be the first and only sitting,” he said, noting that the Opposition would be moving ahead “full force”.

Though the PPP/C would want the 65-member of the National Assembly to debate the historic motion, Ramjattan said this would not be permitted, explaining that only a percentage of the members would debate.

The mover of the motion, Moses Nagamootoo will be leading the debate with support from Cathy Hughes, Ramjattan said.

“We will prove that the Opposition is united on this motion,” the AFC Leader declared, as he said the smile on Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee’s face would be transformed into a frown.