FOLLOWING his announcement on Friday last that Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee can speak in the National Assembly, Speaker Raphael Trotman is under constant and intense fire from the combined opposition, A Partnership for National Unity(APNU) and the Alliance For Change(AFC).

Yesterday a source within the AFC confirmed that the matter did come up for discussion at a high-level meeting by the party yesterday afternoon.
Some members feel that the Speaker has sold out to the government, while others feel that the ruling was fair.

This newspaper was told that the party is contemplating writing to the Speaker requesting that he meet with the executive of the party to explain his sudden decision.  It is also seeking to get from Trotman  if he feels that he needs to be nice to the government of the day in an effort to be seen as a “nice guy”, the source said.
On the question on the way forward between the Speaker and the AFC and APNU, it was disclosed that the AFC will also seek to engage APNU when the move by Trotman will be examined and the way forward decided.

The source could not say if the opposition is thinking of moving  a no-confidence motion in the Speaker
The Speaker of the National Assembly on Friday ruled that Opposition Leader David Granger's motion to gag Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee in the National Assembly is unconstitutional.
In a 19-page ruling which was made public, he said the correct course of action he is taking is to allow Minister Rohee to participate fully and unhindered in the business of the National Assembly.

Trotman noted that he, as Speaker, cannot limit the rights of any member of parliament, regardless of how other parliamentarians feel..
The Speaker, in his ruling, warned that a continuation of a restraint on Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee from speaking, or presenting bills, motions and questions, will constitute a serious curtailing of his rights both as an elected member of the house and a minister of government.

As such, Trotman said he believes the correct course of action is to allow the minister the right to participate fully and unhindered in the business of the National Assembly, both as an elected member and as a minister of government appointed by His Excellency the President.
Trotman explained in his document that the motion is against established practices, principles customs and privileges of Minister Rohee.
In September, 2012, the combined opposition moved a no-confidence motion against the Home Affairs Minister.

The motion was sent to a Special Select Committee and was challenged in the High Court by the Government of Guyana, through Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall.
The move saw the Chief Justice ruling in January that the minister must be allowed to exercise his fundamental and democratic rights hence, and the motion was deemed unconstitutional.

Two weeks ago, the combined opposition parties walked out of the National Assembly after the Speaker Trotman allowed Minister Rohee to speak in the house on security matters.
The rule to speak was subsequently overturned by the Deputy Speaker, Deborah Backer, who gagged Minister Rohee, saying that she was not going to go against a decision made by the majority in the House.

The deputy was at the time sitting in for the Speaker who was out of town in keeping with a commitment he had earlier made to several young people in another part of the country.
Following the ruling of the speaker of the house on Friday to allow Rohee to speak,  APNU has made it clear that it will not accept such a ruling.