The Government of Guyana, through Minister of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs Gail Teixeira, today moved a motion to have eight members of the APNU+AFC Parliamentary Opposition sent to the Privileges Committee over their behaviour in the National Assembly on December 29.
The parliamentarians are APNU+AFC Chief Whip Christopher Jones and other members Annette Ferguson, Ganesh Mahipaul, Sherod Duncan, Natasha Singh-Lewis, Vinceroy Jordan, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, and Maureen Philadelphia.
On December 29, APNU+AFC Members protested the hearing of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Bill, which they wanted to be sent to parliamentary Special Select Committee for review. Coalition MPs stood banging on their desks when the Bill was called up for debate and subsequently gathered in the pit of the Dome of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), where National Assembly sittings are being held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Bill was eventually passed late into the evening but not before the Opposition’s protest escalated into a physical confrontation with parliament staff after one of the parliamentarians snatched the Parliament Mace from in front of the Speaker Manzoor Nadir.
In the process, the symbolic mace was damaged. Some Opposition MPs also went into the control room of the ACCC where they ripped out connections for internet and microphones, causing the live feed and virtual connections to be disrupted.
Moreover, Opposition Parliamentarians have been accused of assaulting, both physically and verbally, the Personal Assistant to the Speaker who was trying to protect the mace.
The mace is the most integral part of the National Assembly’s business and if it is not in the House, no business can be conducted.
Speaking on this issue today, Teixeira denounced the actions of the APNU+AFC MPs.
“Be it resolved that this National assembly registered its abhorrence…this National Assembly commits these eight named members to the Privileges Committee,” Teixeira expressed.
Teixeira asked for the matter to be resolved within a month’s time.
According to the Parliament of Guyana website, “any matter which appears to affect the powers and privileges of the Assembly is referred to [the Privileges] Committee whose duty is to consider any such matter and to report thereon to the Assembly.”
