Parliamentary ‘upheaval’ indication of splits in Opposition ranks

- according to Rohee

THE current disposition of the National Assembly continues to be a source of political controversy.

Mr Clement Rohee, Minister of Home Affairs

And in light of last Thursday’s events, General Secretary of the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Mr Clement Rohee, has maintained that the sitting’s “upheaval” was an “(indication) of splits within the ranks of the Opposition” over positions that conflict with national interests.
“Even as the Opposition display represented a pattern of misuse of its one-seat majority, the situation highlighted poor leadership, disarray, and disunity among the Opposition, as witnessed during the last sitting of Parliament during its deliberation on several matters of national importance,” Rohee said at the ruling party’s weekly press briefing held at its Freedom House headquarters in Georgetown.

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh

The “disarray and disunity” in the Opposition camp has been evidenced in the voting by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Members of Parliament (MPs) for financial provisions for the Specialty Hospital Project, which reflected a conflicting position, Rohee told reporters.
He believes this was an indictment against Leader of the Opposition, David Granger, for his lack of leadership.
According to Rohee, Granger has shown little or no leadership in Parliament since he had been elected Opposition Leader. “Leader of PNC/APNU and the Parliamentary Opposition, David Granger, cannot escape the responsibility of failing to guide the Opposition in a direction aimed at achieving national good in

Opposition Leader David Granger

partnership with other stakeholders. During the sitting, Granger either pretended ignorance of the situation, or was clueless of what guidance to offer his camp, which degenerated into a futile masquerade,” Rohee posited.
He remains adamant that the events that unfolded last Thursday in the National Assembly further confirms that Guyana’s political Parliamentary Opposition parties are “determined to destroy the social and economic gains” of Guyana.
“It appears as though the Opposition would stop at nothing to sabotage national development projects and jeopardize the future of Guyanese,” he said.
Despite the combined Opposition having a one-seat majority in the House, the ruling party has been able to pass three financial papers through the National Assembly, two of which included allocations for developmental projects that were initially the subject of allocation cuts in the 2013 Budget.
Given that Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh acted in accordance with the Constitution and the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act, the Opposition parties’ withholding post-expenditure approval for particular items included in the papers did not affect the allocations.

(By Vanessa Narine)