AFC rigidity not helpful to negotiations on Speaker PDF Print E-mail
Written by
Friday, 06 January 2012 00:45
- Roopnarine
PRIME Ministerial Candidate of A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) at the recent elections, Dr. Rupert Roopnarine said yesterday that the kind of “rigidity” being shown by the Alliance for Change (AFC) is not helpful for negotiations on the matter of electing a Speaker of the National Assembly. Speaking at a press conference in the Regent and Oronoque Streets, Georgetown headquarters, he referred to a statement by AFC’s Presidential Candidate, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, earlier this week, to the effect that the latter will not move from his stance of appointing Mr. Moses Nagamootoo to the controversial position.
[Khemraj Ramjattan] “We are, of course, hoping that the AFC will not adhere to dogmatic and inflexible positions,” Roopnarine said, adding that none of the options proposed by APNU, so far, have found favour with the AFC, “because they have been rather adamant on the positions taken by Mr. Ramjattan.”
Meanwhile, APNU’s Annette Ferguson said the party has taken note of the expressions of concern among people over the protracted negotiations between it and the AFC on the Speaker issue.
“While we must exercise care to avoid jeopardising the ongoing negotiations by any premature public disclosure of their details, it is important to clear the air by stating that APNU/AFC talks cover a wide range of issues beyond that of the speakership.
“There is substantial agreement and close convergence of positions between the two parties on several other issues, including the strengthening of the various parliamentary bodies, as well as on the economic and governance issues facing the nation. Discussions have been forthright but always conducted in an atmosphere of cordiality and mutual respect,” she said.
APNU will continue to discuss the issue of the speakership as part of a larger menu of issues where the two parties can reach agreement. APNU has shown and will continue to show a willingness to support the AFC to attain the chairmanship of important parliamentary committees and the chairmanship of Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) (where the AFC has a plurality) and of committees of the RDCs, Ferguson pledged. [Dr. Rupert Roopnarine]
“APNU is also favourably disposed to the two parties holding the speakership on a rotational basis, with APNU holding the position for the first term. Should the parties fail to find agreement on the candidates proposed, thus far, APNU has suggested that a consensus candidate from outside the ranks of the parties be considered,” she confirmed.
On Wednesday last, top government spokesman, Dr. Roger Luncheon said the efforts of the two opposition political parties, APNU and AFC, to forge a relationship for a joint purpose against the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is proving much more difficult than they anticipated.
[Dr. Roger Luncheon] Dr. Luncheon, who is Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) and Cabinet Secretary, noted the Administration’s “remorse” at the way in which the other two parties have been dealing with the Tripartite Initiative.
According to him, Cabinet has taken note of the media reports of the “travails” of the two parliamentary opposition parties, particularly their inability to agree on the selection of a Speaker of the National Assembly.
Luncheon said: “The Tripartite Initiative evolved a flurry of expectations of consummating energies that should be used productively…it was waylaid. My own impression is that APNU and AFC got together and thought it would have been rather simple to gang up on the governing party and to present us with, essentially, a fait accompli and to restore some ‘bilaterality’ in this engagement, government versus opposition.”
The HPS said the first hurdle that presented itself is the parties’ inability to come to consensus on the selection of the Speaker and that reinforces the perception that their politics is not based on reason. [Moses Nagamootoo ]
“The apparent abandonment of consensus seeking embodied in the notions of the Tripartite Initiative does not augur well for the future. Other than a duel fist fight, there is nothing much left for them (APNU and AFC) to register their disagreements about,” he remarked.
Luncheon said, too, that most of the issues which were identified in the parties’ mutual submissions needed to be addressed in the context of the tripartite agreement. As such, he affirmed that the PPP/C has been respectful of the promise of the tripartite approach to mutual concerns.
He said: “We have not sought to cut a deal or to have some privileged agreement with either of the two parties. In the meanwhile, the Administration is moving apace to refine its position on those matters it identified and submitted to the other two parties, as it relates to the appointment of the panel to review VAT and the tax system in general.”
Luncheon said one of the issues which will be addressed at the tripartite level is the conclusion of the Local Government Reform, which has already been publicly identified in the PPP/C Manifesto 2012, to allow for Local Government Elections this year, in addition to the successful conclusion of the selection of the executives of the ten Administrative Regions.
As to the importance of these, Luncheon said: “Those conclusions would anticipate consensus building and trust being exuded by the three parties, as they move to put executives in the three Regions: Four (Demerara/Mahaica), Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) and Eight (Potaro/Siparuni), where none enjoys an absolute majority.”
The Cabinet Secretary reiterated that the performance of the Tripartite Initiative and its expectations will be tested when the Tenth Parliament is convened, which, constitutionally, can be no later than January 28.
“Our expectation is, as we seek to re-engage in the New Year, definitely before the proclamation to be issued by the President, to reconvene the Tenth Parliament is the promise that that expectation, that fulfillment is still out there and, at the level of the three parties, it is still something worth committing to. This is what we hope,” Luncheon said.
Excerpts from the Guyana Chronicle
Written by
Friday, 06 January 2012 00:45
- Roopnarine
PRIME Ministerial Candidate of A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) at the recent elections, Dr. Rupert Roopnarine said yesterday that the kind of “rigidity” being shown by the Alliance for Change (AFC) is not helpful for negotiations on the matter of electing a Speaker of the National Assembly. Speaking at a press conference in the Regent and Oronoque Streets, Georgetown headquarters, he referred to a statement by AFC’s Presidential Candidate, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, earlier this week, to the effect that the latter will not move from his stance of appointing Mr. Moses Nagamootoo to the controversial position.
[Khemraj Ramjattan] “We are, of course, hoping that the AFC will not adhere to dogmatic and inflexible positions,” Roopnarine said, adding that none of the options proposed by APNU, so far, have found favour with the AFC, “because they have been rather adamant on the positions taken by Mr. Ramjattan.”
Meanwhile, APNU’s Annette Ferguson said the party has taken note of the expressions of concern among people over the protracted negotiations between it and the AFC on the Speaker issue.
“While we must exercise care to avoid jeopardising the ongoing negotiations by any premature public disclosure of their details, it is important to clear the air by stating that APNU/AFC talks cover a wide range of issues beyond that of the speakership.
“There is substantial agreement and close convergence of positions between the two parties on several other issues, including the strengthening of the various parliamentary bodies, as well as on the economic and governance issues facing the nation. Discussions have been forthright but always conducted in an atmosphere of cordiality and mutual respect,” she said.
APNU will continue to discuss the issue of the speakership as part of a larger menu of issues where the two parties can reach agreement. APNU has shown and will continue to show a willingness to support the AFC to attain the chairmanship of important parliamentary committees and the chairmanship of Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) (where the AFC has a plurality) and of committees of the RDCs, Ferguson pledged. [Dr. Rupert Roopnarine]
“APNU is also favourably disposed to the two parties holding the speakership on a rotational basis, with APNU holding the position for the first term. Should the parties fail to find agreement on the candidates proposed, thus far, APNU has suggested that a consensus candidate from outside the ranks of the parties be considered,” she confirmed.
On Wednesday last, top government spokesman, Dr. Roger Luncheon said the efforts of the two opposition political parties, APNU and AFC, to forge a relationship for a joint purpose against the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is proving much more difficult than they anticipated.
[Dr. Roger Luncheon] Dr. Luncheon, who is Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) and Cabinet Secretary, noted the Administration’s “remorse” at the way in which the other two parties have been dealing with the Tripartite Initiative.
According to him, Cabinet has taken note of the media reports of the “travails” of the two parliamentary opposition parties, particularly their inability to agree on the selection of a Speaker of the National Assembly.
Luncheon said: “The Tripartite Initiative evolved a flurry of expectations of consummating energies that should be used productively…it was waylaid. My own impression is that APNU and AFC got together and thought it would have been rather simple to gang up on the governing party and to present us with, essentially, a fait accompli and to restore some ‘bilaterality’ in this engagement, government versus opposition.”
The HPS said the first hurdle that presented itself is the parties’ inability to come to consensus on the selection of the Speaker and that reinforces the perception that their politics is not based on reason. [Moses Nagamootoo ]
“The apparent abandonment of consensus seeking embodied in the notions of the Tripartite Initiative does not augur well for the future. Other than a duel fist fight, there is nothing much left for them (APNU and AFC) to register their disagreements about,” he remarked.
Luncheon said, too, that most of the issues which were identified in the parties’ mutual submissions needed to be addressed in the context of the tripartite agreement. As such, he affirmed that the PPP/C has been respectful of the promise of the tripartite approach to mutual concerns.
He said: “We have not sought to cut a deal or to have some privileged agreement with either of the two parties. In the meanwhile, the Administration is moving apace to refine its position on those matters it identified and submitted to the other two parties, as it relates to the appointment of the panel to review VAT and the tax system in general.”
Luncheon said one of the issues which will be addressed at the tripartite level is the conclusion of the Local Government Reform, which has already been publicly identified in the PPP/C Manifesto 2012, to allow for Local Government Elections this year, in addition to the successful conclusion of the selection of the executives of the ten Administrative Regions.
As to the importance of these, Luncheon said: “Those conclusions would anticipate consensus building and trust being exuded by the three parties, as they move to put executives in the three Regions: Four (Demerara/Mahaica), Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) and Eight (Potaro/Siparuni), where none enjoys an absolute majority.”
The Cabinet Secretary reiterated that the performance of the Tripartite Initiative and its expectations will be tested when the Tenth Parliament is convened, which, constitutionally, can be no later than January 28.
“Our expectation is, as we seek to re-engage in the New Year, definitely before the proclamation to be issued by the President, to reconvene the Tenth Parliament is the promise that that expectation, that fulfillment is still out there and, at the level of the three parties, it is still something worth committing to. This is what we hope,” Luncheon said.
Excerpts from the Guyana Chronicle