Rohee chides Ramjattan for ‘throwing stones while living in a glass house’
LEADER of the Alliance For Change (AFC) party, Khemraj Ramjattan, was yesterday chided for figuratively “throwing stones (at the ruling party) while living in a glass house”.
General-Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Clement Rohee, said Ramjattan should be the last to engage in the practice. “Mr. Ramjattan should be the last to threaten anybody, because people (who live) in glass houses should not throw stones. He has a huge glass house around him, especially in respect to the Specialty Hospital,” Rohee said.
Fielding questions at the party’s weekly press conference held at Freedom House on Robb Street, Rohee spoke on the ‘promise’ of the AFC leader to lay a formal complaint with the police against Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh over what he terms ‘illegal spending’ from the Consolidated Fund. Rohee stressed that if such a complaint is made, the police force has the capacity to investigate the matter — and any other crime, for that matter.
“The police have the capacity to investigate any crime or complaint,” Rohee said.
Dr. Singh has gone to lengths to defend the legality of his actions; and at his last press conference, he underscored that the legitimacy of the expenditure is unquestioned.
The Finance Minister pointed out that, through the Constitution, there are three mechanisms to expend public funds:
* The Consolidated Fund – where expenditures must be approved by Parliament, the latter being defined as the 65-member National Assembly and the President;
* Statements of Excess – where foreseen expenditure not budgeted for or under-budgeted can be expended under the Minister of Finance’s authority; and
* The Contingency Fund – a sub-fund under the Consolidated Fund, from which monies spent can be spent, but under “urgent, unavoidable and unforeseen” circumstances.
Dr. Singh stated that the Constitution, inherited from the former People’s National Congress (PNC) Administration, is crystal clear regarding public spending and the legal parameters within which this is done. “There is no deficiency in the language of the Constitution. The Constitution is crystal clear…there is no lack of clarity,” he said.
The Finance Minister maintains his contention that all public spending advanced by the current administration has been done within the stated legal parameters, and can withstand any level of scrutiny.
(By Vanessa Narine)
excerpts from Guyana Chronicle