Only national elections will fix parliamentary gridlock -GCCI

Only national elections will fix parliamentary gridlock  -GCCI

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry has expressed extreme disappointment with the state of affairs as it pertains to the current status of our legislative branch of government” and believes that national elections may be the only way to address the political gridlock that the country has been facing over the past three years. 

The GCCI is the latest group to express its worry over President Donald Ramotar’s decision to suspend the work of the National Assembly by proroguing the Parliament.

In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, the Chamber of Commerce said it is almost fifty years since this country’s independence and the various factions within the political establishment still do not have the maturity to find common ground in the interest of good governance and national development.

“We also note for the record that once again the Constitution has failed to provide definitive guidance in matters critical to the stewardship of this nation”, the GCCI noted.

The GCCI said that in view of the level of stalemate, gridlock and failure to compromise over the past three years, “the Chamber is hard pressed to believe that any positive dialogue will be conducted during this period. It is clear that only national elections will resolve this issue”. According to the body, if the same or similar parliamentary configuration is the end result it means that the electorate is demanding that the political parties work together and those wishes should be respected.

Following the 2011 elections, the governing People’s Progressive Party picked up 32 seats in the 65 member parliament while the combined opposition parties, the Alliance for Change and A Partnership for National Unity grabbed the majority by picking up 33 seats. The laws of Guyana do not allow political parties to form a coalition after elections.

The Chamber of Commerce which represents the business community in the nation’s capital said it is urging all political parties to seek ways to resolve their differences and return to the business of managing the affairs of the nation as per the mandate they have been given. 

President Donald Ramotar has said that he hopes the prorogation period will allow dialogue with the opposition on national issues. The Leader of the Opposition, David Granger, has indicated that the Opposition parties do not intend to have any discussions with the government while the President has silenced the voice of the People in the National Assembly.

The President admitted that he used the proclamation to prorogue the parliament to block a no confidence motion that the combined opposition parties were moving against his government.

Filed:  12th November 2014

Photo Credit: www.themichaellamcollection.com

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