PPP GOING TO PARLIAMENT “FIRING ALL CYLINDERS” BUT IFFY ABOUT DEPUTY SPEAKER POST – ROHEE SAYS
The opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is finally heading to the National Assembly to occupy the 32 seats it secured at the May elections but said it is yet to select a Deputy Speaker from among its MPs.
At a Monday morning press conference, the party said it was ready to challenge and hold APNU+AFC coalition government accountable in the House but seemed iffy about nominating one of its members to fill the Deputy Speaker post which the government has indicated was left vacant for a PPP nominee.
Party General Secretary Clement Rohee, when quizzed about the issue, said “It’s a very strategic issue and it has to do with parliamentary tactics, which you will see unfolding later on.”
He told media operatives pellucid that the party “don’t have nobody” as yet to fill the post.
“We haven’t made any decision about accepting that position…it is a question of how we tactically utilize our resources in Parliament in order to ensure that we are not shortchanged,” he added.
He denied too that former Attorney General Anil Nandlall was being considered for the post.
The consideration of the 2015 budget begins today where the PPP is also to make its first parliamentary contribution in this the 11th Parliament.
Meanwhile, Rohee updated the media on the Party’s role in the House and said “we going in this debate firing on all cylinders…we are well prepared having respect to the fact that we have 23 years of government behind us…we are also acquainted with the issues and even though some comrades who were Ministers in the previous government will not be returning, this does not mean that we’re handicapped because we’re able to distribute responsibilities of those sectors to other comrades who are quite competent in those areas.”
Rohee says the government and entire country could expect the party to be combative.
“We’re going in there well informed, we’re going in there to contribute as constructively as we can. With 23 years of government behind us, I believe that citizens and Guyanese can look forward to very robust debates in the National Assembly from our side.”
He said too that the PPP will be using data and facts to expose all the fallacies of the government.
The Party has named former President Bharrat Jagdeo as its Opposition Leader and Gail Teixeira as its Chief Whip [elect].