Leader of the Alliance for Change and Opposition Member of Parliament Khemraj Ramjattan today said the Speaker was wrong when he sought the advice of Attorney General, Anil Nandlall on the three no-confidence motions submitted to him. Two of the motions are against two senior Government ministers while the third was filed by the Government against Opposition Leader Joe Harmon.

Ramjattan explained today that the Attorney General is the Chief Legal Advisor to the executive, and the Speaker being the Head of the legislative branch of government, ought to know where the line should be drawn.

“It is my opinion… that the Speaker was wrong to ask the Attorney General on these two issues that is the motion against the two ministers and the other one in relation to the Leader of the Opposition,” Ramjattan said.

According to Ramjattan, the motion filed against Mr. Harmon most likely derived from a cabinet decision where the Attorney General also sits as a cabinet member and to ask him for advice on a matter that he is involved in as a Cabinet Minister is simply unethical.

“He would have already been determining that yes this motion is valid when we now know that it is not valid at all by virtue of what the constitution says in relation to the Leader of the Opposition,” Ramjattan says.

The Leader of the Opposition in accordance with Article 184 of the Constitution is elected by the non- governmental members of the National Assembly and can only be removed by a majority of the non-governmental members of the National Assembly.

The Leader of the Opposition does not have to enjoy the support of the Government members of the National Assembly.

“But I am certain now when the speaker now sends it to the Attorney General, that is wholly an era it is unethical in the circumstances,” Ramjattan said.

The National Assembly is expected to sit next Tuesday, and it is not yet known if the motions will come since the AG is yet to provide his advice to the Speaker.

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