Georgetown : During a meeting of the Special Select Committee on the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism at the Parliament Buildings Georgetown, Monday last, the joint opposition demanded an explanation from the government members about remarks made by President Donald Ramotar.
The opposition members cited the President’s address to the nation calling the defeat of two government bills in the National Assembly “an act of terrorism” against development. Taking into consideration that the work of the select committee was to look into financing of terrorism, the opposition members asserted that the President calling duly elected representatives terrorist was in poor taste and disrespected of the will of the majority of Guyanese who voted for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC) and an affront to their duty and work on such an important committee.
The opposition members called on the government members to explain what the president meant by such a careless and dangerous remark. They asked the government members to join them in condemning the presidential statement. The government members were reluctant to offer any explanations and were disinclined to partake in the condemnation of the “terrorist” remarks ascribed to Mr. Ramotar. The opposition then called for a vote, and the matter was put to a vote. Chairman of the Committee Ms. Gail Teixeira opined that such a vote was not necessary. The committee however went ahead and voted unanimously to condemn the remark of the President of Guyana.
Due to the Chairman and the government members’ ambivalent stance on the matter, the opposition members walked out of the meeting.
APNU members have said that they will only return if advised to do so by Leader of the Opposition Brigadier David Granger.
The government members of the Special Select committee are: Ms. Gail Teixeira; Mr. Anil Nandlall. Mr. Juan Edghill. The opposition members are Mr. Carl Greenidge; Mr. Joseph Harmon, Mr. Basil Williams and Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan.
Absent were Mr. Ashni Singh and Ms. Debbie Backer.
