(The following is a lead article published in today’s Guyana Times, and reprinted here for our readers)
On Thursday, January 14, in his first address to the National Assembly in this year, which he had dubbed “Year of Renaissance”, President David Granger announced a “reconfiguration” of his governing Executive structure, which saw the Office of the Prime Minister, headed by PM Moses Nagamootoo, subsumed into the Ministry of the Presidency, led by State Minister Joseph Harmon.
In a wide-ranging speech evidently patterned on the U.S. President’s annual ‘State of the Union’ message, rather than the traditional local single presidential opening of the five-year Parliament, President Granger stated flatly, “The Ministry of the Presidency has been reconfigured to combine the Offices of the President, Vice President and Prime Minister and Ministers of State, Citizenship and Social Cohesion. This combination enhances governance and, especially through the Office of the Prime Minister, manages the Government’s business and legislative agenda in the National Assembly.”
The “Ministry of the Presidency” was an organisational innovation announced at the very start of the new Administration and at first was thought to have replaced the position of ‘Secretary to the Cabinet’ in the preceding Administrations. The last incumbent in that position was Dr Roger Luncheon, who served as the spokesperson for the Cabinet on decisions reached.
In the first seven months of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government, the retired Lieutenant Colonel Harmon was soon seen to be deploying a wide range of powers that made him the de-facto second in command after the Executive President, rather than as was traditional, the Prime Minister. Nagamootoo of the AFC had been appointed as Prime Minister as part of the coalition-sealing Cummingsburg Accord.
Traditionally, the Prime Minister was the leader of Government business in the National Assembly, and was also given a substantive and substantial line Ministry. The long-serving People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) PM Samuel Hinds, for instance, had been in charge of Energy. In the new “reconfiguration”, the President explained, Nagamootoo would now be sharing in leading the Government’s bills in the National Assembly with the other Ministries coming under the umbrella of the Ministry of the Presidency.
The President went on to explicitly describe the powers and the remit of the Ministers of Social Cohesion and Citizenship within the Ministry of the Presidency, but made no mention of any additional duties for Nagamootoo as Prime Minister. Earlier, it had been reported that Nagamootoo had finally been allocated the “governance” portfolio from Raphael Trotman in addition to overseeing the State media, but this was evidently not so.
In the present instance, however, the powers of the Prime Minister had been explicitly negotiated when the APNU/AFC coalition was being brokered. In a very prescient letter back in September 2015, veteran journalist Rickey Singh had written, “The core features of what emerged as a so-called Cummingsburg Accord (named after the venue of the agreement) had provided for the traditional enormous powers of an Executive President as Head of State as well as the constitutional responsibilities allotted to the Prime Minister – normally number two person in the Guyana Cabinet. Currently, the President seems busily engaged in the further constitutional empowerment of his former Army colleague, ex-Guyana Defence Force Colonel Joseph Harmon. This leaves no doubt about the reality of a twosome power status quo – he and ‘comrade’ Joe. ”
Mr Singh’s column had been pulled from the State-owned Chronicle after he expressed these sentiments.
In addition to placing Nagamootoo’s PM office under the auspices of the Ministry of the Presidency, President Granger also explicitly denuded his Prime Minister from any “line responsibility” such as “governance” or “media” oversight. The President explained, “We have recruited a resourceful team of 14 ‘line’ Ministers from our six-party coalition for the purpose of promoting economic growth.”
He went on to painstakingly describe the duties and responsibilities of the 14 “line Ministers”: Ministry of Business, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Public Telecommunications, Ministry of Communities , Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social Protection, Ministry of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Public Security.
A Ministry of “Governance” or “Information” for Nagamootoo were not mentioned.
Notably, the Cummingsburg Accord stipulates that the Prime Minister should have responsibility for domestic affairs and chairing the Cabinet; recommending ministerial appointments and providing the organisational structures for Ministries for approval of the President, and appointing Heads of Agencies and Constitutional Commissions.
I like that move Mr granger make, I want him to get ramjatan now
My blog does take u guys like years to post i dont know why.. but the racists blogs gets posted with lightening speed. lol thanks
i will NEVER NEVER BE A NIMACRAM he tell people i will never join pnc but money fool him that he is next in line to be the president after something will wrong with him so he has remove before that happen and give hormon the show and he MUST REPORT TO HIM GIVE HIM MORE TO TALK
shameful act and why are those comments stll awaiting moderation?
Can Ralph RamKaran Say something to this LFSB Is Back in Power Again my Amerindian People is down on the bottom of the pit again
It was very foolhardy to sign an agreement without being able to have some recourse in the event that the parties did not abide by the requirements of the agreement.
serves him fight
So you can now come to the conclusion that Nagamootoo is a Rubber Stamp.He just has the position of Prime Minister but has no power.
How are you feeling now Nagamootoo? Are you okay? You remember you were warned about joining with the PNC’s Monsters. You know by right you are drawing the Tax Payers Money by false means? What are you Nagamootoo doing to earn the salary as Prime Minister when, in actual fact you are not doing the work as the Prime Minister, Harmon is doing your work? In this instance, you Nagamootoo need to tell the Guyanese people the truth that you were conned by the Monsters of PNC and it is true about what you were warned about before joining the coalition.
There are lot more to come when APNU will declare you are no use and they don,t need the AFC in the coalition. This is what happened to people who betrayed others.Nagamootoo, if you were given the Presidential Candidate for PPP /C you would have criticized APNU but you joined them because you want power.
What next?????
I in the pass considered this news outlet credible. Who reported news in a somewhat balanced way. Since ramroop bought over this outlet it looks and sounds like the times which I refuse to read. I will be looking at your other stories and if it continues on the same trend as the times I will not read this news outlet anymore.
Dr. Jagdeo has been trying to advise the PNC/AFC how to manage Guyana, but The PNC is too wicked to listen…..
They will do anything to bankrupt Guyana.
We all know this was coming these fools naga and ramjaat will be out looking for a job very soon .The dictator now start to show his true colours–this man hates indians he said it himself and would do anything he can to destroy us, a continuation of the evil acts by Burnham of which he was an active member.
You should have known it was going to happen . Sooner than actually expected. More on the way.
Donald Ramotar said that the NAMAKHARAM wild get Larwah. Larwah he did get but at least he has a multi million dollar SUV to drive around with security and blaring siren. That will calm his over sized ego hopefully. There is more to come for Moses NAMAKHARAM Moottoo; more disappointment for the AFC whose lust for power motivated them to join the PNC.
That`s no big deal,as long as the police out riders are infront of Naggamootoo blaring their sirens when he is driving everything is ok. He can die a happy man now, for all the years he was craving the chance to be called Prime Minister. So do to him what ever you want he is still happy. This is a man with no dignity, no pride, just the lust for power, as Ramotar had said, he gon get LARWAH. Man is he enjoying LARWAH!!
Good for the jackass
Not before long, Nagamootoo will be kicked to the curb. He wanted power, and truth be told, the only power he has is the title of PM. They say history repeats itself and the same way the TUF was cast aside by 1973, the same way the AFC will be cast aside. And all the ex PNC boys that are part of the AFC will stay with the APNU. While the PPP REJECTS will be pushed aside and Guyana will slum further into oblivion.
This is very detrimental for all people of Guyana….a terribly wrong message for those seeking social cohesion! Backlash for AFC!!!! God be with Guyana.
This came sooner than I expected but it was always on the cards.
I wonder how the AFC feels now that it is evident that they have now placed the country in the hands in the PNC all over again
Nagamootoo stripped of all ‘line responsibilities’ …now reports to Min of Presidency Harmon..
I hope the power hungry x PPP glut Nagamookree dont kill he-self..
I hope the power hungry x PPP glut Rumjhaatmookree dont kill he-self.
Well poor old Ropenarinemookree is like the walking dead so dont bother with he.
PNC de done kill he long long time ago when PNC down Rodney.
Now you all know I was right when I said that men like Naga- Rumjaat- Rope have power on paper only..
PNC never care for you jackasses.
You cant go cry to US now that PNC not being fair to you.
The US fat man told yall to join PNC to make it look like an Ethnic Unity Party and yall so brilliant to say no if abee join PNC abee wiill be dead meat but joined anyhow.
I knew like many others in and out of Guyana yall will get PNC very large Larwrah..
I hope yall get bust up and choke now on PNC massive Larwrah.
You know why you wont see Naga- Rumjhaat and Rope a lot now?
Dont be surprise to see them wearing mustache to hide their stretch marks around their mouths.
The Larwah so heavy, it gon give the man goodie. Ahow bie na so much one time.
Nag goat sold out his supporters and disappointed thousands when he decided to join forces with APNU also known as PNC. This man is power hungry. He wanted to become President but had to settle for the Prime Minister position however as reported he has been stripped of all his responsibilities and reports to the next in command (Harmon). Next to be stripped is that other goat (Ram Goat). And so the saga continues.
I AWFULLY SURPRISED THAT THE PPP ARE TAKING THE HON PM’S HAPPINESS AND MAKING IT THEIR DISTRESS,LOL, LOL!
THAT’S TO SHOW HOW IMPORTANT HE IS IN THEIR EYES. HE WAS MALIGNED, SIDE TRACK, DISRESPECTED AND THEY EVEN AT ONE TIME WISH FOR HIS DEMISE AND NOW THEY ARE CRYING CROCADILE TEARS FOR OUR PM. PPP, GO BAGGED UR FACE AND LEAVE MOSES ALONE. HE IS THE PRIME MINISTER OF GUYANA AND NOTHING CAN CHANGE THAT. YOU GUYS ARE JUST MAKING URSELVES A NATIONAL CLOWN.GO AWAY AND KICK BRICK LOOSERSSSSS. NO MORE POWER, ACCEPT DEFEAT.ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. PACK OF THIEVES
ppp go buried urself,you guys are loosing faith and will soon go crazy,stp pedling false rumours and leave the Govt of the day alone.You cannot come to grip with defeat as yet??lawd of mercy,then you guys need to jump over board.PPP is very wicked ,evil and malicious and is doing all within their power to destroy the Govt of the day but the masses are educated and will not yield to ur stupidity
Good move by our President Granger. Now we have a ceremonial King for Guyana with an upgraded mansion and a fancy auto to cut ribbons. Also, he looks really good standing next to our President and reflecting the true ethnic diversity of our unity government. Creation math tells us that zero plus zero equal two zeros. PM Naggarmotto has earned every right to represent us with some pomp and display.Kudos to him.