Dispute over Speaker…. PDF Print E-mail
Written by
Tuesday, 10 January 2012 02:15
AFC threatens to back PPP/C nominee
THE dispute between the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance for Change (AFC) over the Speaker position, in the Tenth Parliament, has taken a different twist.
AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan told the State-run National Communications Network (NCN) yesterday that, if an agreement cannot be reached with the PNCR by this month end, then the position will be handed to the ruling People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
[Dr. Roger Luncheon] “The PPP/C will win it, because their 32 will go and vote for Ralph Ramkarran,” Ramjattan said. [Khemraj Ramjattan]
Ramkarran, who was Speaker of the House during the Ninth Parliament, was touted by the PPP/C to remain in the post.
The AFC Leader also noted that, if APNU is not willing to negotiate, then the AFC will turn to the PPP/C for endorsement of Moses Nagamootoo, who, in his view, is the most suitable person in the opposition camp to fill the chair.
However talks with the PPP/C must be on the condition that the Speaker is derived from the opposition, preferably the AFC.
Ramjattan chided APNU's Chairman David Granger for recent comments that Nagamootoo is not suitable.
Ramjattan maintains his argument that, if the opposition is to hold the Speaker job, then the AFC should get first preference since, it is responsible for the PPP/C losing the majority in the House.
“We are gonna say: why you want your candidate to serve first as against ours? And that’s a simple thing (and) let them come back to that argument. We feel Nagamootoo should get the speakership…,” Ramjattan said.
Ramjattan said he has been speaking to quite a number of individuals and the general view is that the AFC should get the speakership of the National Assembly.
He confessed that his party and APNU have breached the tripartite agreement entered into with the Government, hence progressing with the discussion on the speakership without the PPP/C. [Ralph Ramkarran]
[Moses Nagamootoo] Ramjattan said the PPP/C is asking for too much to want to be involved in any discussion on the way forward with the opposition.
His comments were made despite his party and APNU, agreeing to be part of a President Donald Ramotar initiated tripartite committee on the way forward for Guyana.
Just last week, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon had cause to remark that the forging of alliance by the opposition parties against the governing PPP/C is proving to be “much more difficult” than they had anticipated.
He also lamented the Administration’s “remorse” at the way in which the other two parties have been dealing with the Tripartite Initiative.
According to Dr. Luncheon, 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.
“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, 4 (Demerara/Mahaica), 7 (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) and 8 (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
Tuesday, 10 January 2012 02:15
AFC threatens to back PPP/C nominee
THE dispute between the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance for Change (AFC) over the Speaker position, in the Tenth Parliament, has taken a different twist.
AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan told the State-run National Communications Network (NCN) yesterday that, if an agreement cannot be reached with the PNCR by this month end, then the position will be handed to the ruling People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
[Dr. Roger Luncheon] “The PPP/C will win it, because their 32 will go and vote for Ralph Ramkarran,” Ramjattan said. [Khemraj Ramjattan]
Ramkarran, who was Speaker of the House during the Ninth Parliament, was touted by the PPP/C to remain in the post.
The AFC Leader also noted that, if APNU is not willing to negotiate, then the AFC will turn to the PPP/C for endorsement of Moses Nagamootoo, who, in his view, is the most suitable person in the opposition camp to fill the chair.
However talks with the PPP/C must be on the condition that the Speaker is derived from the opposition, preferably the AFC.
Ramjattan chided APNU's Chairman David Granger for recent comments that Nagamootoo is not suitable.
Ramjattan maintains his argument that, if the opposition is to hold the Speaker job, then the AFC should get first preference since, it is responsible for the PPP/C losing the majority in the House.
“We are gonna say: why you want your candidate to serve first as against ours? And that’s a simple thing (and) let them come back to that argument. We feel Nagamootoo should get the speakership…,” Ramjattan said.
Ramjattan said he has been speaking to quite a number of individuals and the general view is that the AFC should get the speakership of the National Assembly.
He confessed that his party and APNU have breached the tripartite agreement entered into with the Government, hence progressing with the discussion on the speakership without the PPP/C. [Ralph Ramkarran]
[Moses Nagamootoo] Ramjattan said the PPP/C is asking for too much to want to be involved in any discussion on the way forward with the opposition.
His comments were made despite his party and APNU, agreeing to be part of a President Donald Ramotar initiated tripartite committee on the way forward for Guyana.
Just last week, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon had cause to remark that the forging of alliance by the opposition parties against the governing PPP/C is proving to be “much more difficult” than they had anticipated.
He also lamented the Administration’s “remorse” at the way in which the other two parties have been dealing with the Tripartite Initiative.
According to Dr. Luncheon, 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.
“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, 4 (Demerara/Mahaica), 7 (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) and 8 (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
