THE DEBATE IS OVER – TIME TO MOVE ON
by Ralph Ramkarran
The great ease with which opposition agreement for Mr. Raphael Trotman’s elevation to the high office of Speaker was garnered attests not only to the high regard in which he is held by his APNU colleagues, but to the skill which was deployed by him, or on his behalf, to secure its support and that of his AFC colleagues. The declared opprobrium by APNU Chairman, David Granger, for Moses Nagamootoo for his past PPP connections clearly did not apply to Mr. Trotman, no doubt because of his past PNC connections. The debate about conventions and candidates is over and the choice is made. Mr. Trotman deserves our support for success in a job that he will find requires all of his considerable parliamentary and political experience.
Speakers are normally identified with political parties, usually governing parties. When elected they either relinquish their leading political roles, or suppress, or do not publicise, any overtly partisan activities. However, unique circumstances now arise from a novel situation. Mr. Trotman is not merely identified with the AFC as a leading figure or an executive member. He is its Leader and Representative of its List. In these capacities he is the leading official and chief spokesperson of the AFC.
The Parliament Office is managed by the Clerk of the National Assembly. The Speaker will find in Mr. Sherlock Isaacs a public servant of vast experience, with a deep knowledge of the Standing Orders and of parliamentary practice and procedure. He was trained by Frank Narain, the most celebrated Clerk in Guyana’s history, who was on the distinguished visitor’s benches observing the proceedings, no doubt with pride at his student’s competence and firmness in delivering the elections and a successful Sitting. One of the Clerk’s official duties is to advise the Speaker on the Standing Orders and parliamentary procedure. The Speaker can, of course, disagree with any advice proffered. That would be a courageous step.
The other and equally important function of the Clerk is to manage the Parliament Office. In 2001 the Parliament Office had 40 staff members. Today it has 100 – an indication of the vast expansion of services now delivered to the Parliament and its members. These include a new Hansard Division and an expanded Committees Division. Interference by the Speaker in the management of the Parliament Office by the Clerk would be an innovation.
The Parliament staff are a proud, dedicated and hardworking group and are aware of their responsibility to serve both Government and Opposition benches. Parliament staff no longer have to talk to be fearful of talking to Opposition Members as in the past. They meet with, assist and advise Opposition Members openly, and have been doing for the past ten years.
The system is so designed to allow the Speaker to concentrate his energies on the management of the business of the Parliament. In this he will find that a high degree of neutrality and impartiality are essential. In this regard, the public declaration by APNU that it required a Speaker who will promote the Opposition’s agenda has been disappointing and hopefully more mature considerations will now prevail. Brokering agreements between the Government and Opposition is a vital aspect of the functions of the Speaker in our Parliament. A Speaker promoting the Opposition’s agenda will quickly discover that his effectiveness is limited. His only agenda is and should be to promote the work of Parliament, comprising both Government and Opposition.
The test of a fair and impartial Speaker in developing Commonwealth countries, painfully but sometimes with dark humour, whispered among some Speakers, is if the greater discontent is evident from the side of the House which initially nominated and supported you.
Speakers are normally identified with political parties, usually governing parties When elected they either relinquish their leading political roles, or suppress, or do not publicise, any overtly partisan activities. However, unique circumstances now arise from a novel situation. Mr. Trotman is not merely identified with the AFC as a leading figure or an executive member. He is its Leader and Representative of its List. In these capacities he is the leading official and chief spokesperson of the AFC.
He can also remove any member of Parliament of the AFC and replace him or her. Mr. Trotman may find great difficulty in publicly reconciling the position of Speaker with those of Leader and List Representative of the AFC. The Speaker cannot, without any justification, wear the Party Leader’s and List Representative’s hat in the morning, deciding party strategy in Parliament, and the Speaker’s hat in the afternoon, impartially presiding over the implementation of that strategy in the face of opposition to it.
Mr. Trotman has since indicated that he does not intend to contest the post of Party Leader in a few months time. His views on remaining as List Representative are eagerly awaited.
by Ralph Ramkarran
The great ease with which opposition agreement for Mr. Raphael Trotman’s elevation to the high office of Speaker was garnered attests not only to the high regard in which he is held by his APNU colleagues, but to the skill which was deployed by him, or on his behalf, to secure its support and that of his AFC colleagues. The declared opprobrium by APNU Chairman, David Granger, for Moses Nagamootoo for his past PPP connections clearly did not apply to Mr. Trotman, no doubt because of his past PNC connections. The debate about conventions and candidates is over and the choice is made. Mr. Trotman deserves our support for success in a job that he will find requires all of his considerable parliamentary and political experience.
Speakers are normally identified with political parties, usually governing parties. When elected they either relinquish their leading political roles, or suppress, or do not publicise, any overtly partisan activities. However, unique circumstances now arise from a novel situation. Mr. Trotman is not merely identified with the AFC as a leading figure or an executive member. He is its Leader and Representative of its List. In these capacities he is the leading official and chief spokesperson of the AFC.
The Parliament Office is managed by the Clerk of the National Assembly. The Speaker will find in Mr. Sherlock Isaacs a public servant of vast experience, with a deep knowledge of the Standing Orders and of parliamentary practice and procedure. He was trained by Frank Narain, the most celebrated Clerk in Guyana’s history, who was on the distinguished visitor’s benches observing the proceedings, no doubt with pride at his student’s competence and firmness in delivering the elections and a successful Sitting. One of the Clerk’s official duties is to advise the Speaker on the Standing Orders and parliamentary procedure. The Speaker can, of course, disagree with any advice proffered. That would be a courageous step.
The other and equally important function of the Clerk is to manage the Parliament Office. In 2001 the Parliament Office had 40 staff members. Today it has 100 – an indication of the vast expansion of services now delivered to the Parliament and its members. These include a new Hansard Division and an expanded Committees Division. Interference by the Speaker in the management of the Parliament Office by the Clerk would be an innovation.
The Parliament staff are a proud, dedicated and hardworking group and are aware of their responsibility to serve both Government and Opposition benches. Parliament staff no longer have to talk to be fearful of talking to Opposition Members as in the past. They meet with, assist and advise Opposition Members openly, and have been doing for the past ten years.
The system is so designed to allow the Speaker to concentrate his energies on the management of the business of the Parliament. In this he will find that a high degree of neutrality and impartiality are essential. In this regard, the public declaration by APNU that it required a Speaker who will promote the Opposition’s agenda has been disappointing and hopefully more mature considerations will now prevail. Brokering agreements between the Government and Opposition is a vital aspect of the functions of the Speaker in our Parliament. A Speaker promoting the Opposition’s agenda will quickly discover that his effectiveness is limited. His only agenda is and should be to promote the work of Parliament, comprising both Government and Opposition.
The test of a fair and impartial Speaker in developing Commonwealth countries, painfully but sometimes with dark humour, whispered among some Speakers, is if the greater discontent is evident from the side of the House which initially nominated and supported you.
Speakers are normally identified with political parties, usually governing parties When elected they either relinquish their leading political roles, or suppress, or do not publicise, any overtly partisan activities. However, unique circumstances now arise from a novel situation. Mr. Trotman is not merely identified with the AFC as a leading figure or an executive member. He is its Leader and Representative of its List. In these capacities he is the leading official and chief spokesperson of the AFC.
He can also remove any member of Parliament of the AFC and replace him or her. Mr. Trotman may find great difficulty in publicly reconciling the position of Speaker with those of Leader and List Representative of the AFC. The Speaker cannot, without any justification, wear the Party Leader’s and List Representative’s hat in the morning, deciding party strategy in Parliament, and the Speaker’s hat in the afternoon, impartially presiding over the implementation of that strategy in the face of opposition to it.
Mr. Trotman has since indicated that he does not intend to contest the post of Party Leader in a few months time. His views on remaining as List Representative are eagerly awaited.
