Govt. threatens to boycott Parliamentary Committees … PM says will abide with court ruling
Leader of the Government side in the House, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds yesterday signaled to members of the media that the Government will withhold its participation at the level of the Committees.
The Prime Minister told media operatives that they had signaled to the Speaker of the National Assembly that the make-up of the Committee of Selection is currently subject to a constitutional action in the Court and as such should hold off on convening any meeting to address the make-up of any such committees.
The Prime Minister did however state that the ruling administration will abide by the court ruling and if it is not in their favour, the government will still return to the committees.
Hinds was joined by PPP/C stalwart and Presidential Advisor Gail Teixeira and Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh.
The Government officials repeatedly argued that the proposal by the opposition flies in the face of the constitution even as Teixeira accused the combined opposition of being a single dictator.
The combined opposition had amended the make-up of the Committee of Selection requiring that it consist of four government members, four members from A Partnership for National Unity and one from the Alliance for Change.
The Government however points to the constitution, which says that the parties represented in Parliament must be proportionally reflected in the make-up of the committees.
The government is arguing that the 49.2 per cent bloc of the votes the administration secured at the November 28 election cannot be equated with the 40 per cent secured by APNU and as such both parties cannot be saddled with the equal amount of seats/votes in the committees.
Teixeira told media operatives that the difference in votes for the PPP/C and APNU is some 40,000 and further, her party commands the single largest bloc in the Assembly.
She said that the constitution is specific in saying that the parties have to be reflected and not a case of the Opposition and Government.
The Opposition has been arguing that the new dispensation where the combined opposition constitutes the majority of votes should also be reflected in the committee where the combined opposition will still hold the majority of votes.
The opposition has proposed the 4-4-1 make up for the committee.
Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh says that the recent happenings in the House represent ‘ominous developments’ for the very principle of democracy in Guyana.
This is a sentiment shared by Teixieria who also warned that this is something that the PPP/C has fought long and hard for and will not give up.
The Government has moved with a Constitutional Motion seeking a declaration that the composition of the Committee of Selection “is in violation of the principle of proportionality as contemplated by Articles 60 and 160, of the Constitution and the provisions of the Elections Laws (Amendment) Act No.15 of 2000 and accordingly, unconstitutional, unlawful, null, void and of no effect.”
Further, the government wants the court to issue an order setting aside, revoking, cancelling or annulling the composition of the said Committee of Selection on the ground that it violates Articles 60 and 160 of the Constitution of Guyana and is in breach of the provisions of the Election Laws (Amendment) Act No. 15 of 2000.
Opposition Leader David Granger and Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman, are named as respondents in the case.
In court documents, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall argues that the composition of the Committee of Selection violates the principle of proportionality as contemplated by the Constitution, since in this configuration, the PPP/C with 32 seats has the same representation in the Committee with APNU which only secured 26 seats.