APNU MP Carl Greenidge has lodged a motion with Parliament seeking to have President Donald Ramotar’s refusal to sign bills passed by the National Assembly declared as unconstitutional and an assault on democratic principles.
Tabled on November 3rd, prior to the prorogation of Parliament, Greenidge cites Ramotar’s failure to:
- respond to the National Assembly after presentation of the Constitution (Amendment) Bill #13 of 2013 to him by the Clerk of the Assembly;
- assent to any Bills initiated and laid by members of the Assembly who are not members of the PPP;
iii. assent to some Bills unanimously approved by the Assembly, which includes PPP MPs, whilst at the same time assenting to the Appropriation Bills 2012 and 2013, cuts to which the Government declared to be unconstitutional;
- provide within the 21 day deadline stipulated in the Constitution the reasons for withholding his assent to Bills;
and said that these actions should be declared by the National Assembly as:
- in breach of the provisions of the Constitution;
- a direct assault on the principles of democracy on which the Constitution is based; and
iii. a further attempt to deprive Guyanese people of hard-won fundamental human and political rights gained as a result of costly struggles initiated as long ago as 1763;
- to be unambiguously condemned and deplored.
