Silencing Minister Rohee a manifestation of the ‘Corbin syndrome’ : - House has become a laughing stock, with farcical charades being enacted everyday by a smug, sanctimonious opposition collective |
Thursday, 22 November 2012 23:13 |
THE ‘Corbin syndrome’ was the term coined by former President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo to describe Robert Corbin, and by extension the PNC’s proclivity to draw red herrings to cover their lack of vision that would engender developmental initiatives in Guyana. And since the much-touted ‘new dispensation’ in the National Assembly last November, that hallowed House has become a laughing stock, with farcical charades being enacted everyday by a smug, sanctimonious opposition collective; because the AFC is integrally enclaved in the PNC catacombs.Speaker Raphael Trotman clarified in Parliament yesterday a ruling on his suggestion of a new motion to sanction Minister Rohee by suggesting that any such matter should go to the Committee of Privileges, which was rejected outright by the government because, by rights, as prescribed by parliamentary norms and procedures, only those who behave disorderly in Parliament should face sanction by the Committee of Privileges, and the Minister has not breached any of those parliamentary norms and procedures. However, Trotman’s party members and APNU/PNC members are very guilty of this offence and they are the ones who should be facing the Privileges Committee. Now a motion to gag the minister was tabled by the Opposition Leader David Granger. The Prime Minister Samuel Hinds has rightly called the opposition antics in Parliament yesterday as ‘grotesque’. Only someone very naive would believe that Trotman was not privy, and is part of, this strategy to effectively gag Minister Rohee, which puts the nation’s security further at risk. As part of the pre-planned farce, the Speaker invited Minister Rohee to speak on his Firearms Bill but was interrupted by APNU’s Basil Williams on a ‘point of order’ to allow Granger's motion to gag Rohee. PPP/C’s Chief Whip Gail Teixeira objected on the grounds that no group can suspend the Order Paper to allow Granger's motion However, despite APNU’s Basil Williams being accused of using a wrong procedure to suspend the Standing Orders, which was admitted to by APNU's Deborah Backer and AFC’s Ramjattan, the Speaker of the National Assembly allowed it! A debate raged over the appropriateness of APNU/AFC’s request to suspend the Standing Order as Minister Rohee awaited the Speaker’s permission to proceed with the Firearm Bill. The charade continued as Trotman re-invited APNU's Williams to adhere to procedures in seeking the suspension. His earlier intervention was described as a "snafu." The Speaker refused to take a position and put the matter to the House to vote on the suspension of the Standing Order, but Government MP Teixeira challenged the Speaker for breach of convention. "What is taking place is a different issue...it violates a sacrosanct principle...you cannot introduce a motion to suspend in the middle of a presentation...this is anarchy...do not turn this House into a mad house," she said. However, Trotman was adamant. Subsequently, the AFC joined APNU in voting in favour of the suspension of the Standing Order, effectively gagging Minister Rohee. And while the joint opposition continues to stymie the people’s business from being addressed by their representatives, the retrogression is being felt by the private sector, because the negative impacts of the opposition gerrymandering is achieving its true intent and purpose – making the country ungovernable. But the victims are the people of Guyana who, ironically put the joint opposition in Parliament to represent their interest. The question that now needs to be asked is whose interest are the antics of the opposition collective serving. Posterity will judge Trotman harshly for making a theatre out of the sacred National Assembly to serve the oppositions, both to which he has affiliations. In a position that demands partiality he has showed his prejudice over and over again. That bastion of freedom has been effectively used to foster opposition undemocratic behaviour, with full support by Trotman. History will judge him harshly. |