Chairman of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) David Granger was yesterday unanimously elected as Leader of the Opposition and stated that he is immediately changing the status quo with regard to the location of that constitutional office.
Widely expected to have been elected Opposition Leader, Granger was the only nominee in the race for what is being called the majority leadership. The election took place at a meeting held in the Parliament Chambers for non-government members yesterday.
It was also the second occasion that the House was presided over by newly minted Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman, who himself won the Speaker’s race on Thursday.
“This meeting is called in pursuance of Article 184 of the Constitution of Guyana as repealed and reenacted in Section 6 of the Constitution Amendment Act 2000, No 2 of 2000. The purpose of the meeting is to enable the non-governmental members of the Assembly to elect a Leader of the Opposition,” Trotman said. “I accordingly invite nominations for Leader of the Opposition,” he said.
At this point, Vice Chairman of APNU Dr Rupert Roopnaraine rose to nominate David Granger for the post of Leader of the Opposition. Dr George Norton seconded the nomination.
“Honourable members, there is only one nomination. I am of the opinion that the honourable member Mr David Arthur Granger could properly be duly declared to be the Leader of the Opposition. However, out of an abundance of caution, I will call for a show of hands, which is the method prescribed,” Trotman said.
At this point 31 hands of opposition members went up for Granger. “I am mandated to ask if there is any against. If you are against please raise your hand,” the Speaker said. “The Clerk advises me that 31 members present all voted unanimously in favour of the honourable member David Arthur Granger. I therefore declare the honourable member [Granger] duly elected Leader of the Opposition,” said Trotman.
“I take this advantage of being the first to congratulate you honourable member. I have been associated with you in different regards for a number of years and I have no doubt that you will discharge this office to the best to your known abilities. It is a proud moment for Guyana because in my view the office now has taken on a different context and I see you as the majority leader,” said Speaker Trotman, noting that other jurisdictions have given true meaning to that terminology of majority leader.
“For the first time in the history of Guyana and the history of the Commonwealth Caribbean we have a majority leader. It is with great admiration that I welcome you to the position and I congratulate you,” he said.
Rising to offer words of congratulations, Alliance For Change founding member Khemraj Ramjattan said he knew this was going to be the outcome.
“The AFC wants to congratulate you. We on this side of the opposition, if I may say so, would like to state that we might have… disagreements on certain issues. But rest assured, Mr Granger, that indeed the AFC is going to ensure that our working engagements and consultations with each other are for the benefit and interest of this nation, and that is why I suspect that it is going to be a rather wonderful engagement from here,” Ramjattan said.
APNU’s Basil Williams expressed congratulations on behalf of leader of the PNCR Robert Corbin. “We are confident that with Comrade Granger at the helm of the opposition that our aspirations would be realized. We have high expectations of this Parliament and in that connection we wish Godspeed to Honourable member Granger and the members from this side of the House,” said Williams.
Granger, in making remarks, thanked the Speaker, Ramjattan and all his colleagues in APNU for supporting him. To the Speaker, Granger said, “As you pointed out it is a historic occasion and we shall go on in the years to come to make the Tenth Parliament memorable in the political history of this country.”
He renewed his resolve and the resolve of APNU to bring about real change in the lives of the ordinary people of Guyana. “175,000 Guyanese voted for APNU and AFC on November 28, 2011. As you rightly said Mr Speaker, we are the majority. We, the APNU and the AFC are the majority. The majority is on our side and we are on the side of the majority,” he said.
Granger reiterated his determination to use his office – a constitutional office – to advance the interest “not only of the 175,000 people, but the 750,000 who depend on us to bring about real change in this country.”
He said that there has been the rebirth of parliamentary democracy as it is meant to function over the last few days. He said that as a result of this rebirth, the votes of the majority will be felt and the voices of the majority will be heard. “We are confident Mr Speaker, that in you and in your election, this Honourable House would ensure that the events of November 28, 2011 and voices that were raised [on that date] would not be muted during the life of this Parliament,” he said.
“Today I wish to announce that the Office of the Leader of the Opposition will be located not in a political headquarters but in a public place so that people from all regions and all parties will have access to the Leader of the Opposition,” he said, “with appropriate funding from this noble House,” he added jovially.
He said that he saw it not as a personal triumph but as a movement forward of a process that was started many years ago, “when we pledged that we would establish a system of inclusionary democracy in our Constitution.”
