Parliament to reconvene within 14 days -Pres. Ramotar

Parliament to reconvene within 14 days  -Pres. Ramotar

The Office of the President on Saturday evening announced that President Donald Ramotar has directed that steps be taken to convene a sitting of the National Assembly within the next 14 days.

The move by the President will bring an end to the impasse between the Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman and the Clerk Sherlock Isaacs over the setting of a date for the reconvening of the National Assembly. The Clerk had turned down a request from the Speaker to reconvene the Assembly in 14 days, pointing out that it is only the Government that could make such a request. The Speaker was told by the Clerk that he does “not have the power” to request any sitting.

 President Ramotar in his statement said “having been apprised of the Leader of the Opposition’s recent statement in the media with regard to talks between himself and the President, there is no longer any benefit to the country for any further delays in convening a sitting of the National Assembly”.

But the Opposition Leader’s office has said that a date for the Sitting of Parliament was never part of the discussions between the President and the Opposition Leader since the APNU has always been calling for the reconvening of the Assembly after the recess.

The Office of the President said “the Government has a number of pending legislative matters before the House prior to the annual recess. Further there are important financial papers relating to the development of the country and growth of the economy that need to be urgently addressed”.

However, the Alliance For Change is expected to push its no confidence motion right to the top of the discussions in the National Assembly when it meets again. The AFC has filed a no confidence motion against the Government of Guyana. It intends to move the motion at the first sitting. Once the motion is debated and passed, the Government will be forced to resign and the President will have to call national elections within three months. The APNU has already given its commitment to supporting the AFC’s no confidence motion in the Donald Ramotar administration.

 

Filed: 2nd November, 2014

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