Georgetown: The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) said it was still undecided whether or not it would be attending the fifth sitting of the National Assembly later this month, and would make that announcement at the appropriate time.
General Secretary Clement Rohee said the Party’s presence in the National Assembly, as it has not yet attended the 11th Parliament, which was convened on June 10.
The PPP/C’s absence in Parliament has caused it to miss the passage of crucial bills including the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Amendment (AML/AFT) Bill, which had been the cause of gridlock in the 10th Parliament between the then Government (PPP/C) and Opposition A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC).
It is widely believed now that if the Party does not attend the National Assembly this time around, it may not be able to have an input on the budget when it is presented, as well as a say in the extension of the recess and the recent bill which seeks to restrict benefits from former Presidents.
Finance Minister Winston Jordan is expected to present the 2015 National Budget, by the latest in August of this year. If the Party does not attend Parliament, there is the possibility that it could miss out on the budget debate. Rohee assured, however, that while the Party has a position on attending Parliament, the announcement would be made at the appropriate time.
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon had said that this session of the National Assembly would most definitely have to be lengthened because of the volume of work still to be done. He said he was hoping that the Opposition when it came into Parliament would recognise that “the people’s work is priority” and would lend its support to such an activity. The Party has boycotted all three sittings of the National Assembly.
The PPP/C had said, however, that it had more pressing issues to address at the moment, including its issues with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) given the Party’s allegations that it colluded with the governing APNU+AFC to rig the elections. The Party has filed its petition in this regard.
Following the petition and while still not declaring when it would attend Parliament, the Party revealed that it had selected 32 individuals who would represent the PPP/C in the 65-seat legislature whenever it decided to put in an appearance.
Former President Bharrat Jagdeo has accepted the position of Chief Parliamentarian and Opposition Leader in the 11th Parliament. Additionally, former President Donald Ramotar, who was the Party’s 2015 Presidential Candidate, will not return to the Parliament to serve at that level.
While the Party has already identified its Chief Whip, it is still to identify who will represent it as the Deputy Speaker in the National Assembly.
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