Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman has said that he will be using other methods to have the clerk of the National Assembly send bills to the president and not other government offices. He was at the time responding to questions on the clerk sending the four local government bills passed in the National Assembly to the attorney general’s chambers.
Trotman believes that the bills should have been sent directly to President Donald Ramotar. He said if the president wishes to have further legal advice, then the decision should lie with him whether or not to send the bills to the AG. “That is my personal belief,” the Speaker stressed.
The four local government bills are still sitting in the AG’s chambers under review. Members of the opposition have slammed this move.
Both the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) believe that the bills should not have been sent to the AG’s chambers.
The Speaker, however, noted that it was common practice to send government bills to the chambers to be tidied up, after which they were sent to the president.
Given the situation facing the 10th Parliament, the Speaker said this practice should cease. Trotman also confirmed that the 21-day period stipulated for the president to give his assent only begins when the bills actually reach the president’s desk.
Essential
The four local government bills, essential for the holding of local government elections, were passed in the National Assembly on August 7.
The House approved the Fiscal Transfers Bill; the Municipal and District Councils (Amendment) Bill; the Local Government (Amendment) Bill; and the Local Government Commission Bill. This was after a 12-year period of attempting to reform the process.
Local Government and Regional Development Minister Ganga Persaud piloted all four of the bills and while government supported the pieces of legislation, it attempted to amend at least two.
The diplomatic community has supported calls for local government elections, which were last held in Guyana 19 years ago.
