Seat allocation should be ..

50% == PPP/C

40% == PNC/APNU

10% == AFC

 PPP ....32 seats = 100/65 X 32 = 49.23%Representation  on Select  Committee 

APNU...26 Seats = 100/65 X 26 = 39.99 %         "             "     "        " 

AFC..... 7  Seats = 100/65 x 7  =   10.77%        "             "     "        "

Combined  Opposition 36.99 + 10.77 = 51.77%  "             "     "        "

Any way  you sliced & diced it,  the  Combined Opposition with  51.8% of    VS  PPP  48.2%  Popular votes  or  Com OPP  51.77 %  VS PPP  49.23 % in  Parliamentary Representation would/ should  be ahead in  the  various  committee.

Emile Mervin says in SN:

Permit me to deconstruct the stupidity of your ‘excellent move’ compliment to the Attorney General’s ill-advised moved.  Your AG is saying that because the PPP gained more popular votes than either APNU or AFC, separately, the PPP should get more seats on parliamentary committees proportionate to its votes received. The problem for him here is two-fold: Legal and Conventional.
 
Legally, the court can rule only based on existing pertinent law or case precedent, and the AG’s argument is not grounded on any existing law or case precedent, whether in Guyana, the Caribbean, the Commonwealth or any country that practices democracy.
 
Besides the absence of any pertinent law or case precedent, the court cannot undo the will of the people or subvert the democratic process that produced a one-seat parliamentary majority for the opposition simply because the AG and his ilk at Freedom House and Office of the President are delusional enough to ask the court to do so.
 
Conventionally, when a party has more votes than others in a national election but not enough to form either the executive branch of government or control the legislative branch of government, it has an option of coalescing with other parties to do so. Example, in 1964, the PPP won the plurality of votes to form the government, but the PNC and UF’s combined votes were greater than the PPP’s so we had the PNC-TUF coalition government that ousted the PPP from power.
 

If you ask me, (and you didn’t), the PPP is in very, very serious trouble with all the Jagdeo era corruption now getting skinned up and I am of the opinion that while Ramotar wants to get on with the business of government, there are elements in the PPP who are fearful of probes, inquiries and possible criminal indictments, so there is a push back from these elements. Ramotar is caught between a rock (the law) and a hard place (corrupt PPP elements), with APNU and the AFC serving as mechanical clamps or vices applying the pressure. This move to court by your AG is just an attempt at an escape route! Watch him lose this one, too!

DG it seems like Math is not your forte. Perhaps the Rev can give you some serious math lessons in percentages.

The combined opposition is in the majority even though it is by only one seat; they have the majority.  So Mr. D_G how could that equate to the PPP  having control of  50% of the seats on any committee?

the ppp is sinking and they running out of lifejackets now they making themself a ass soon the people will put them to pull cart

Seats is based on the prcentage of votes allocated to each political party.

50% == PPP/C

40% == PNC/APNU

10% == AFC

Any way it is viewed, the PPP/C's representation on committees equal to 50% of the seats.

DG,

What  kind of  a fuzzy  math is  that? Since when  does 48.62% of  popular  vote is  greater  than  40.83% + 10.33% ( 51.16 %)?

I  believe anyone with  logical  and  deductive  reasoning would  agree that  a  10  man Committee Of  Selection as  proposed by the PPP  ( PPP(5) APNU(4)  AFC (1) ) is  a  recipe for  gridlock,  disaster  and  having nothing  accomplished.  Hence  failure  of the 10th Parliament. Politically,  it  may  be  a clever and strategic  move  to shift  blame   to  the  opposition  for  this  failure in  an   election  to  follow.  They  would  like  to  continue  to hammer  the  point  that a  vote  for  the  AFC  is in fact  a  vote  for the   irredeemable APNU/ PNC. Hopefully the  AFC  can solidify  their  base and  continue to  make inroads  in  both  ethnic  camps  and deprive  both  of  these  fossilized and  discredited  relics  from  an  absolute  majority.  The  day   voters  are weaned from  their ethnic  teat,  would be doomsday  for these  dinosaurs.

 For your  benefit  here  is a summary  of  the  Break down  of  the  popular  votes:

If the PPP are serious about attaining a majority they would call for a snap elections. I suspect these are all delay tactics, maybe they realize that their dominance is over due to the many revelations about corruption and mismanagement. 

Mara .. quite simple .. take 10 seats.

PPP/C = 48.62% == 0.4862 x 10 == 4.862 ==> 5 seats.

APNU =  40.83% == 0.4083 x 10 == 4.083 ==> 4 seats.

AFC ==  10.33% == 0.1033 x 10 == 1.033 ==> 1 seat.

Basically the seat-allocation is 50% for the PPP/C and 50% for the combined APNU and AFC.

8-March-2012

"The principle of proportionality as contemplated by the Constitution" (Demwaves)
Written by Guest Columnist, Mr. Nigel Hughes

I read with some bemusement of the government, peopled exclusively by PPP/C members and supporters, seeking the intervention of the Courts on the basis that the "Composition of the Committee of selection is violative of the principle of proportionality as contemplated by the Constitution".

Less than six months ago when the same government was in office, albeit under a different parliamentary configuration, the principle of proportionality seemed to have eluded the consideration of the government on the issue of distribution of the state's resources , building of capacity in communities not considered traditional supporters of the government, transfer of state assets, appointment of ambassadors, allocation of state resources, removal of the subvention to the Critchlow Labour College and the list goes on. Now still in office but subject only to potential scrutiny with consequences, the Government cries foul and raises the issue of proportionality.

Well let us walk the talk as a nation, let us begin to discuss the proportional distribution of executive power, proportional distribution of the State's resources, proportional participation in the decision making process from top to bottom, the proportional and equitable building of capacity in all communities, the holding of local government elections throughout the country, review of previous decisions which resulted in the curious distribution of the state's resources particularly sea defence and road contracts, house lot distribution and procurement.

In the previous dispensation where 51% of the votes was the equivalent of and guaranteed 100 % of the power, there was deafening silence on the "principle of proportionality as contemplated by the Constitution."

Now because that those of us with 48% are not assured 100 per cent of the power, the minority or the majority, depending on your perspective, must cooperate with, or at least not tyrannize the minority.

The majoritarian system which is envisaged and embodied by the current constitution does not create winners who share power or want to share power. Politics becomes the battle for total victory rather than a method of government open to all significant groups.

With the Executive without absolute power in the parliament crying proportionality, perhaps the time has come for the Republic to revisit its constitutional structures with some urgency so all her citizens will be guaranteed participation and representation in the Government.

"Unchartered territory" as the fears expressed by the Minister of Finance may be, we should heed the words of that great Guyanese patriot A. R. F. Webber when he urged us a century ago "Let us look beyond the immediate horizon. Away from the cringing fear which bids us shiver. The night must pass. Panic helps nobody. Let us greet the unseen with cheer."

D_G .. it is not 10 seats but 9.

PPP/C = 48.62% == 0.4862 x 9 == 4.3758 ==> 4 seats.

APNU =  40.83% == 0.4083 x 9 == 3.6747 ==> 4 seats.

AFC ==  10.33% == 0.1033 x 9 == 0.9297 ==> 1 seat.

Basically the seat-allocation is 49% for the PPP/C and 51% for the combined APNU and AFC.

This will turn out to be a storm in a Tea cup.

Here this picture might be easier for you...