Although the recall legislation prevents Members of Parlia-ment from permanently crossing the floor, the onus will be on the opposition in the 10th Parliament to ensure that its members do not vote against their respective parties.
With the opposition parties only having a one-seat advantage over the government, political observers have noted that their Chief Whips would have important roles in the proper functioning of the House. The Chief Whips of parties generally keep their party representatives in line for voting and interface with the Speaker, Clerk and staff on a direct basis on behalf of the parties.
Haslyn Parris, who has researched Guyana’s constitution extensively, opined that the role of the Chief Whip would be pivotal in the upcoming parliament given that this is “the entity that is supposed to get people into the condition of what they should or shouldn’t do or