Negotiation team being set up… President to invite Opposition for talks within days -optimistic about change of heart in face of APNU/AFC stance
PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar yesterday disclosed that he has been working on putting together a “negotiation team” and will be making an invitation to the combined Opposition parties for dialogue within the coming days.
“I have been working on my own negotiation team and very soon I will be inviting the Opposition in within a matter of days. I will be inviting the Opposition in for dialogue,” he said, speaking during a news conference at the Office of the President, Shiv Chanderpal Drive.
“My motivation to get some kind of agreement moving forward…what I have done in a way is to take everyone off the hook, wipe the slate clean and have a possibly of going forward again…if we can’t then election is it.” – President Donald Ramotar
This move comes four days after the Head of State announced his decision to prorogue Parliament. His decision was carries out by way of a prorogation proclamation, which essentially means that the current session, is suspended up to a maximum of six months – a move that is provided for in Section 70 (1) of Guyana’s Constitution.
He declined to commit to a specific timeline for talks. “We will have to see how things evolve,” the President said.
OPPOSITION POSITION
He acknowledged the fact that both parties, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC), categorically said that they will not engage in talks; however he expressed optimism that this “first position” would change.
“I would take that (their position) as being their first position and I would say that hopefully that when the emotions have been removed from this that good sense and maturity will prevail, because this is our business as politicians, we talk to each together. We have to work with each other in the interest of our society,” the President said.
According to the Head of State the move to prorogation was intended to pave the way for greater dialogue among political parties, while keeping the 10th Parliament alive. However, Mr. Ramotar has made it clear that if these efforts prove futile, there will be a move to fresh general elections.
This position was reiterated yesterday when Mr. Ramotar stressed that he has no intention of proroguing Parliament again .
On that note, he also stated that he is hopeful that the six-month prorogation period will not be fully utilised.
The President said: “I have absolutely no intention to recall the Parliament and proroguing it a second time to extend the life of the Government…I will not be doing that.
“The prorogation has a maximum period of time for which it can last. I hope that long before that we can find enough grounds to deal with the business of the people….if there is absolutely no way that this will go forward then we will have to pave the way for fresh elections.”
MISCONCEPTIONS OF PROROGATION
Mr. Ramotar also used yesterday’s news conference as an opportunity to address what he termed “misconceptions” being peddled, some “deliberately” by certain political factions, over what prorogation means.
According to him, he nor his Government has any additional powers as a result of the prorogation of Parliament.
The President smirked at the claim that he is now a dictator. “It makes no sense, prorogation gives me no additional powers…I have no new powers,” he said, adding that to make this assertion effectively creates misunderstanding and confusion.
Mr. Ramotar also took on the issue of “illegal spending” as has been talked about frequently since Monday’s prorogation of Parliament.
He made it clear that the “free spending” claim is absurd since all Government spending is done within legal framework, constricted to legal and constitutional methodologies.
Mr. Ramotar also highlighted that he had two other options, in addition to prorogation: one, to dissolve Parliament and head to early general elections; and two, to allow the debate on the AFC-sponsored no-confidence motion to go through.
Regarding the latter, he contends that the Government would have won the debate on the motion, but to no useful end, since the combined Opposition, with the Parliamentary Opposition, would have won the vote.
“There were many more advantages to prorogation…I could not create a constitutional crisis if I acted within the Constitution,” the Head of State stressed.
The effect of ending a session by prorogation is to terminate business. Members are released from their parliamentary duties until Parliament is next summoned. All unfinished business is dropped from or “dies” on the Order Paper, the National Assembly’s agenda, and all committees lose their power to transact business, providing a fresh start for the next session. No committee can sit during a prorogation. Bills which have not received presidential assent before prorogation are “entirely terminated” and, in order to be proceeded with in the new session, must be reintroduced as if they had never existed.
“My motivation to get some kind of agreement moving forward…what I have done in a way is to take everyone off the hook, wipe the slate clean and have a possibility of going forward again…if we can’t then election is it,” Mr. Ramotar concluded.
(By Vanessa Narine)
taken from the Guyana Chronicle
