By Kurt Campbell
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Opposition Leader David Granger says his Party will be thoroughly investigating what appears to be a ‘blow off’ at the last minute by the party’s – A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)- front – bencher Volda Lawrence during votes for supplementary allocations for several sectors by the Government.
The Opposition Leader told reporters that there were plans to vote along specified lines which he said were long standing and based on principles.
Lawrence at Thursday’s (December 12) sitting of the National Assembly stunned the House by refusing to bite with her party against allocations for several sectors.
When the vote was taken, all APNU MPs voted ‘no’ while Lawrence remained quiet (abstained).
Earlier when the vote was being taken for resources for the Specialty Hospital, Lawrence left the National Assembly in haste. Her departure saw both APNU and AFC losing the vote to deny the specialty hospital funds.
However, prior to this Lawrence had voted with her party to refuse funding to the National Communications Network (NCN) and the Government Information Agency (GINA) both of whose allocations were reduced to $1 by the opposition during the 2013 consideration of estimates.
Today, (December 13) at the APNU’s weekly press briefing Granger told reporters that he has not spoken to Lawrence since but was informed that she was unwell. He said from his observation of her in the House on Thursday she appeared distraught.
When ask why then did Lawrence remain in the House if she could not vote, Granger maintained that an investigation is underway.
Political observers told iNews that this is an interesting development and may speak of crack developing in the Opposition in its campaign to inflict budget cuts.
The Opposition had managed to collectively cut billions of dollars from the National 2012 and 2013 budgets. The two opposition parties have since come under heavy criticism in this regard.
