The government has decided to abide by an agreement between the parliamentary parties for the holding of a Private Members Sitting of the National Assembly.
The government’s decision paves the way for the convening of a special parliamentary sitting requested by AFC MP Sheila Holder to debate a motion in her name. Government initially baulked at the request by Holder for the holding of a Private Members Day in keeping with the Standing Orders. Accusing the government of reneging on an agreement made by the Parliamentary Management Committee (PMC), AFC MPs subsequently boycotted the parliament, while the main opposition PNCR-1G indicated that it was willing to do the same.
However, Stabroek News has learnt that last Friday Prime Minister Samuel Hinds wrote Speaker of the National Assembly Ralph Ramkarran, affirming the government’s commitment to the PMC agreement. Last December, the PMC agreed that every fourth sitting of the National Assembly would be held on a Wednesday and that the PMC could determine whether there was sufficient business to warrant a special sitting. The PMC agreement was to give effect to Standing Order rule 24 (2), which provides that government business is to take precedence on every day except Wednesday, when private members business will have priority.
Stabroek News has been told that the PMC is scheduled to meet to prepare for the special sitting, among other things.
At the last meeting of the PMC, held to resolve the dispute between the parties, the government disputed the AFC’s interpretation of the agreement and took the decision to review it.
When the issue was originally raised, Hinds mentioned that the holding of Private Members sittings would be dependent on whether there was sufficient business to justify it, although Holder said the government had scheduled parliamentary sittings for less important business.
Holder’s motion, which deals with access to local and external channels − other than NCN channels − at Linden, seeks to have the National Assembly call on the government and the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) to permit operators of private television stations in Guyana to relay and beam their signals in Linden and Wismar, without having to get additional licences and pay additional fees. Holder contends that the people of Linden and Wismar have expressed frustration and anger at being denied the right to access local and external TV stations other than the state-run NCN 11 and 8. As a result, the motion also resolves to have the Assembly endorse the fundamental right of the people of Linden and Wismar to receive ideas and information without the interference of the state media.
