Ramjattan stands by proposed ‘buy-out’ of APNU MPs allegations –thumbs nose at calls to verify or retract claims
LEADER of the Alliance for Change, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, yesterday commented on the letter sent Speaker of the House, Mr. Raphael Trotman, by Chief Whip in the National Assembly, Ms. Gail Teixeira, registering the ruling party’s concerns over his allegations of a “buy-out” of Members of Parliament (MPs).
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has also responded to the issue in a statement, deeming the allegations “utter rubbish”, and challenging Ramjattan to disclose, publicly, the names of the three parliamentarians at reference, and make a full and frank public disclosure of all or any information he claims he has in relation to this matter.
Khemraj Ramjattan
But, the die having been cast, Ramjattan seemingly couldn’t care less what the PPP/C thought of him. “The PPP and Ms. Teixeira can haul their asses,” he told the Guyana Chronicle yesterday when asked to comment on the matter.
At a press conference last Thursday, Ramjattan said his Party had been “reliably informed” that the PPP/C Government, against whom a No-Confidence Motion has been filed, has plans to “buy out” at least three parliamentarians, at $30M each, to vote against the Motion when it comes up for debate next month. Since that press conference, he has indicated that the MPs to whom he referred are from the main Opposition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).
Ms. Teixeira, in her letter to the Speaker, has, inter alia, called on the AFC Leader to produce evidence in support of his allegations. But Ramjattan is not likely to do that, since the information was allegedly given him by “a PPP man at the high end,” and corroborated by other senior Party members who sit on the PPP’s Central Committee.
“It is an incontrovertible fact,” he told the Chronicle yesterday. “I am not going to reveal the source; I cannot do that,” he stressed.
Ms. Teixeira, in her letter to the Speaker, had also stated that failure by Mr. Ramjattan to retract his comments will result in a move by the Government MPs to call for his referral to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee for besmirching and denigrating the image and integrity of all MPs and the entire National Assembly.
Again, Ramjattan was unmoved, saying that he stands by his position, which is that there was an attempted “buy-out” of MPs from the Main Opposition.
BUY-OUT DENIAL
APNU Leader, Mr. David Granger, in commenting on the AFC Leader’s assertions, rejected them totally.
At an APNU press conference last Friday, he was emphatic in expressing his confidence that no APNU MP would fall prey to the alleged “buy out” by the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP).
Also, the APNU leader highlighted that he was unaware that there was even an offer to “buy out” MPs by the PPP.
“I don’t know who made it up, or where it came from,” the Opposition leader told reporters, adding that there has been no discussion between the People’s Progressing Party and APNU to hold off the no-confidence vote.
The National Assembly comes out of recess on October 10, and when a sitting is called the no-confidence motion, tabled by the AFC, will be up for debate.
The first page of the Motion reads: “Be it resolved that this National Assembly has no confidence in the Government.”
If the Motion is passed, the current administration will be expected to be disbanded in preparation for a return to the polls.
As stated in Section 106 (6) of the Constitution: “The Cabinet and President shall resign, if the Government is defeated by the vote of the majority of all Members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.”
This is made even clearer in Section 106 (7), which states:
“Notwithstanding its defeat, the Government shall remain in office, and shall hold an election within three months, or such longer period as the National Assembly shall, by resolution, supported by no less than two-thirds of all elected members of the National Assembly, and shall resign after a new President takes the oath of office following the election.”
The last time general elections were held in Guyana was in November 2011.
(By Vanessa Narine)
