The PPP/C will nominate and vote “solidly” for Ralph Ramkarran to continue as Speaker of the National Assembly, acting Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Gail Teixeira, said yesterday.
The 10th Parliament convenes today for the election of a Speaker and Deputy-Speaker. The combined opposition – who together control 33 of the 65 seats in the National Assembly – has indicated that it will throw its support behind Alliance For Change (AFC) leader, Raphael Trotman, for Speaker and A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) Deborah Backer for Deputy-Speaker.
Speaking at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Office of the President yesterday, Teixeira said the government continues to believe that Ramkarran is the most suitable person for the job. She said it continues to hold to the position that in Commonwealth parliaments, the governing party normally holds the Speaker post. “There’s a principle involved and we hold to that principle,” she said.
Questioned as to whether the government could work with Trotman, the presidential advisor said that in the past, they have worked with many persons from the opposition. She stressed that “whosoever is the Speaker, that person is expected to be fair and impartial.”
Teixeira said that it was “regrettable” the way matters had proceeded despite President Donald Ramotar’s overtures to the opposition, they “went to the side” and “conspired” to overturn the conventions.
With regard to the AFC and APNU indicating support for their candidates for the parliamentary committees, Teixeira expressed the view that they were “horse-trading” while she also outlined government’s position pointing out that for some committees the Standing Orders envisages the composition based on proportionality. “We hope that Parliament will not become a forum for blocking everything that the government (brings),” she said.
Meanwhile, Teixeira said President Ramotar will not address the opening of Parliament today. She said there is no constitutional and legal requirement that the President address Parliament at the first sitting and a ceremonial sitting will be convened at which the president will address Parliament. Prime Minister Samuel Hinds will be leader of government business in the House, while Teixeira will be the Chief Whip.
With regard to tripartite consultations on the Budget, Teixeira said that these have not yet commenced. She said the opposition parties were to nominate a financial expert to meet Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh but have not yet done so and thus no discussions have commenced.
Earlier, Teixeira had said that the AFC and APNU “sidestepping” of the tripartite agreement reached between the three parties in Parliament with regard to the discussions on the Speaker, flies in the face of and deliberately undermines the agreement. She said government wrote to AFC presidential candidate Khemraj Ramjattan and APNU’s presidential candidate, David Granger on Monday reminding them of the agreement and to name their representatives to the tripartite talks. Government also reaffirmed its commitment to the agreement, she said.
