By Jomo Paul
[www.inewsguyana.com] – The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is accusing the APNU+AFC government of using its one seat majority in the National Assembly to inflict gross abuse on the House.
PPP Members Bishop Juan Edghill, Priya Manickchand and Irfaan Ali made the complaints at an impromptu press conference on Wednesday, September 09 in Parliament Buildings, where they pointed to the recent appointments of members to parliamentary committees.
Edghill pointed out that the Standing Orders dictate that Ministers cannot preside over sectoral committees, yet under the new administration, the APNU+AFC has appointed Junior Finance Minister Jaipaul Sharma to head a committee.
“The views of the Opposition don’t really matter…might is right – tyranny of the majority,” said Edghill as he described the situation in the National Assembly.
He said that no real accountability can be achieved with government Ministers heading Committees.
“The Cabinet and the influence of the Cabinet is present to interrupt,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Manickchand stated that the situation exist because of the high number of Ministers in the APNU+AFC administration.
“Nobody expected that the government would have 26 Ministers and just six back benchers,” said Manickchand.
According to her, it is possible for the government to appoint the back benchers to head the committees but unfortunately this resolve is not being employed by the administration.
The Opposition is now considering all possible avenues to address its concern which would include taking the matter to court.
After Jagdeo ,and his team (PPP/C regime) returned from their 3 months vacation/hiatus, all they have done in parliament so far is to have a laundry list of complaints. Their expectation is, for the 3 months old government to have already fixed their 23 years of chaos and mismanagement they left behind.
They have no shame!
This is the true nature of the PNC and they have engulfed the AFC into the same mold. One cannot expect anything different. If it is anything positive it is that the foreign Representatives who gave implicit, tacit, covert and overt support in ensuring the Alliance found themselves in power are probably rethinking what they did which is what was realised 50 years ago !!!
HMM! You’re claiming that? if anyone had done the same thing to you, in the past you would have had them killed by Roger Khan……….Bhar-RAT you need to sit the BLEEP down and only speak when you have something to say!
It is amazing that these hypocrites with glass windows have no problem with throwing stones. Bareface crooks and hoodlums.
“The views of the opposition don’t really matter”. That was going on for some 23 years. Where was Edghill during that time? Where was Manickchand? Where was Ali? Oh yes! The shoe was on the other foot so it did not matter at that time that the oppositions view didn’t matter.
Government ministers should not be heading any committees. It takes away the checks and balances necessary in a democracy.
PPP says gov’t engaging in massive abuse of power, ignoring parliamentary rules. And you PPPC folks are shocked !! Well most Guyanese witnessed the parliamentary abuse and how the combined team trampled on parliament and constitution in the 10th parliament. They were opposition back then so you PPPC folks expect installed rulers to have the nation’s interest at heart? They were installed by their masters so their masters can grab Guyana’s raw materials for peanuts. Their master knew for decades now that none in the PNC circles knows economics. You think their installers are dunces? Heck no.