Notice has been given by Parliament Office of a motion in the name of AFC MP Khemraj Ramjattan for the establishing of the independence and the authority of the National Assembly.
The motion is slated to come up on May 2nd. It makes reference to the report of Commonwealth Senior Parliamentary Staff Sir Michael Davies for the greater independence of the National Assembly as it relates to its budget. It is the latest in a series of motions to establish the independence of important institutions. APNU member Carl Greenidge has tabled a number in relation to the service commissions and the Office of the Auditor General.
Ramjattan’s motion says:
“WHEREAS the Needs Assessment of the Guyana National Assembly as contained in the Report of the Commonwealth Senior Parliamentary Staff Advisor (Sir Michael Davies Report) to the Guyana National Assembly, February, 2005, recommended, inter alia, that
“The National Assembly should be given much greater independence in respect of its own budget. Systems should be established within the Parliament Office to undertake the estimating, monitoring, controlling and accounting for the Assembly’s expenditure; and
The Clerk of the National Assembly should become the employer of all staff of the Parliament Office. A larger Personnel Office should be established to carry out these additional responsibilities.”
“AND WHEREAS the Guyana Fiduciary Oversight Project Final Framework and Guidelines Report, Volume 2, has recommended at component 6 of its recommendation that, ‘Parliament should employ its own staff, and the Speaker should appoint the Clerk of the House after consultation with all parties’;
“AND WHEREAS the Government signaled its acceptance of these recommendations in the 2005 Draft Poverty Reduction Report released on the 21st June, 2005;
“AND WHEREAS the basis of these recommendations is the need for Parliament to be fully independent of the Executive,
“BE IT RESOLVED:
(1) That a Special Select Committee be appointed to examine these recommendations with a view to advising the National Assembly on the steps to be undertaken to establish the independence and authority of the National Assembly in respect of its own budget; and
(2) That this Special Select Committee examines these recommendations with a view to advising the National Assembly on the steps to be undertaken to enable the Clerk to become the employing authority of the staff of the Parliament Office;
“BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That the Special Select Committee submit its final report one month after its appointment.“
