Speaker Raphael Trotman has moved for the National Assembly to meet next week, after concluding that no direction from the government is needed.
In a letter yesterday to the leaders of the government, main opposition APNU and the AFC, Trotman announced that he has asked Clerk Sherlock Isaacs to fix a sitting of the National Assembly for November 6. He said he is of the firm belief following consultations with Isaacs and former Speakers Sase Narain and Ralph Ramkarran that the Stand-ing Orders have already settled the issue of when the National Assembly is to meet when a date is not fixed. It is left to be seen if Isaacs will act on the Speaker’s request, given his belief that precedent establishes that government needs to set a date.
Trotman’s decision comes in the wake of an impasse between the government and opposition whips on the date for the resumption of sittings and scrutiny over whether anyone is