Member of Parliament for the WIN party and former GuySuCo Executive, Vishnu Panday, was today elected Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) as the Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir convened a series of meetings to elect Chairpersons for 8 of the 13 parliamentary committees.

The meetings took place in the Chamber of the Public Buildings beginning with the Public Accounts Committee. 

Panday was unopposed as he was elected Chairman of the PAC, in keeping with the Standing Orders, which stipulate that the Chair must come from the main opposition.

On the PAC, MP Panday is joined by five Government MPs – Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Gail Teixeira; Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill; the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Vishwa Mahadeo; and Members of Parliament Suresh Singh and Sanjeev Datadin – and three other Opposition MPs – WIN Member of Parliament Nandranie Singh; and APNU Members of Parliament, Juretha Fernandes and Ganesh Mahipaul.

Meanwhile, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall was elected to chair the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Constitutional Reform, while Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira was elected chairperson for the Committee on Appointments.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips was elected chairman of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on the Security Sector.

In the case of the Parliamentary Sectoral Committees, the Standing Orders mandate that the Government chairs two of those committees, and the Opposition the remaining two, however, on an annual rotational basis.

According to the Parliament Office, Opposition Member of Parliament Duarte Hetsberger was elected to lead the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Economic Services, while Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud was elected chair of the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Social Services.

The Foreign Relations Committee will be chaired by MP Odessa Primus and the Natural Resources Committee would be chaired by the Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat.

The Parliament Office explained that in accordance with the Standing Orders, the Speaker serves as Chairperson of the Standing Orders Committee, the Assembly Committee, the Committee of Privileges and the Statutory Instrument Committee. He also serves as Chair of the Parliamentary Management Committee.  

“The constitution of these committees marks an important milestone in the work of the Thirteenth Parliament, enabling Members to begin their oversight, to examine all policies and administration for each sector, to determine whether the execution of Government policy is in consonance with the principles of good governance and in the best interest of all the people of Guyana,” the Parliament Office said.

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