The AFC will seek to have the appointments of the 11 staffers of the Auditor General’s Office reversed and there is specific focus on the promotion to Audit Director of Gitanjali Singh, the wife of the Finance Minister because of the conflict of interest it presents.
AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan says that the party wants the appointments to be rescinded and he cited the “flawed” advice received by the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Carl Greenidge that saw the PPP/C members taking advantage of the absence of AFC MP, Trevor Williams to force through the Audit Office appointments. Based on advice at the June 25 meeting, Greenidge did not vote and so the PPP/C was able to push through with the appointments. The AFC says that there was a flawed interpretation of the Standing Orders and the party warned yesterday that it could set faulty precedent.
“We have to right that interpretation (of the Standing Orders),” he said, while adding that the decision could have far reaching consequences for other parliamentary committees.
Main opposition APNU has called the actions of the governing party “unprincipled,” while saying that it is likely to “undermine the integrity” of the work of the Auditor General’s Office. The government and opposition members of the PAC had previously been split on the appointments, which were proposed by acting Auditor General Deodat Sharma. In particular, opposition members charged that the promotion to Audit Director of Gitanjali Singh, the wife of the Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, would present a conflict of interest, given the responsibilities that go with her post. A Commonwealth parliamentarian visiting Guyana recently expressed surprise that the wife of the Minister of Finance was employed in the Audit Office, which is responsible for the audit of the country’s public accounts.
Ramjattan told Stabroek News that the AFC representative will raise the matter at the next meeting of the PAC and he urged that the PAC “right this wrong.” Williams said that the opposition parties could meet on the matter to decide how to proceed before next Monday’s meeting.
At the AFC’s weekly press briefing yesterday, party executive Moses Nagamootoo said that the party will be calling for a review of the PAC’s vote. He said that the AFC’s move is based on two factors: the highly unethical nature of one of the appointments and flawed voting based on ill advice.
Nagamootoo noted that the Audit Office serves as a ‘check and balance’ mechanism to ensure that public monies are properly accounted for and that all transactions regarding public funds are above board. “The Finance Ministry and NICIL [National Industrial and Commercial Investments Ltd] are agencies of the state that disburse public funds. It, therefore, makes good sense that the relationship between the Audit Office and the other two be seen as independent. Not only must they operate independently but to satisfy public scrutiny, they must also appear to be operating independently,” he said. Finance Minister Singh is the Chairman of NICIL’s Board.
‘Ill-informed’
Nagamootoo also noted that the PAC is established under Standing Order 80. “Rule 5 of Standing Order 80 clearly states, ‘Unless otherwise provided for in these Standing Orders, any member of the Assembly, whether elected on non-elected, shall be eligible for membership of any Standing Committee and shall have the right to vote therein’,” he quoted. “We see here that all members of the PAC up to this point in time are entitled to vote on matters brought before the Committee. The Chairman of the Committee, therefore, as a member of the said Committee is entitled to an original vote. This is clearly the intention of the Parliament when it established and approved the Standing Orders,” he said.
“In light of the above, the AFC believes that the outcome of the PAC meeting on June 25 is flawed. It is clear that the Chairman of the PAC, Honourable Carl Greenidge of A Partnership for National Unity was ill-informed of his right as a member,” said Nagamootoo. He said that the decision also has implications for the other Standing Committees of the National Assembly as it “established flawed precedent.”
“It is therefore imperative that all measures be taken by the collective Parliament, not only the AFC or the opposition, to have this corrected,” he declared. Nagamootoo said that the AFC will be raising this matter at the Standing Orders Committee.
Executive member of the AFC Cathy Hughes said that the aim of the review is to get the promotions reversed as well as correct the advice received by Greenidge. Nagamootoo said that it is a matter of public concern who the Director of the Audit Office is and the relationship she has with the Finance Minister.
He said that the review will show that had the chairman been properly advised at that time, he would have exercised his vote and there would have been a stalemate. According to the MP, the party is “prepared to take (the issue) to the floor of parliament.”
Hughes said that the fundamental issue is an ethical issue and clearly, in relation to Mrs. Singh and the Finance Minister, it is a conflict of interest. She said that this appointment is the one of main concern.
In relation to this and other issues such as the NCN probe, Nagamootoo said that if the government does not act, the AFC would consider a no-confidence motion.
Meantime, he said that the party’s leadership has met with Williams and “to again impress upon him and all MPs the critical positions they hold and the trust placed upon them by the people of Guyana.” According to Nagamootoo, they remain confident that Williams will continue to represent the AFC and the people of Guyana and that he will continue to develop as a parliamentarian. He said that every effort will be taken to ensure that this situation does not recur. “MP Williams’ absence notwithstanding, the AFC regrets that the forced appointments were not prevented by more prudent and reasoned action on the part of the Chairman of the PAC,” he added.
