The Alliance for Change (AFC) has put government on notice that it will not support what leader Khemraj Ramjattan referred to as any “pork barrel” budget designed to win votes.
In the event Parliament is recalled, “We are going to disapprove that whole budget buddy, that’s the position, no confidence…, no support for that budget which is tantamount to a no-confidence motion,” Ramjattan told a press conference last week.
Last Monday President Donald Ramotar’s made a decision to prorogue Parliament in a bid to avoid the collapse of his government via a motion of no confidence. The prorogation period can be as long as six months, which would take it to May next year.
The constitution states that an annual budget should be passed by April 30 of every year.
The combined opposition has already stated that there will be no extra-parliamentary talks with the government, piling further pressure on President Donald Ramotar to signal when the House will be reconvened or fresh elections called.
Ramjattan believes that because government faces inevitable elections, the 2015 budget will be crafted to show a series of increases for public servants. Nonetheless, he said, it will be disapproved.
“Regardless of the content… that is our position at this stage… we know they will come with all the goodies. Twenty per cent increase in policemen’s salary; public servants. That’s what they plan to do. One hundred per cent for certain sectors of the public servants and a whole lot of pork barrel projects and then they will go to their constituents and say ‘See we had a beautiful budget and Ramjattan and them boys blocked de budget so you got to vote back fuh we’. That is their strategy,” he said.
Ramjattan said he does not believe he will be playing into government’s hands by shunning the budget because while he feels government will use a “pork barrel” budget, to entice the populace, the Guyanese people cannot be fooled.
“The people in this country know lots more that they think they know they are not playing into their hands,” he said.
AFC executive member Dominic Gaskin questioned, “How can you give a government you have no confidence in $200 million to spend?”
He explained that government will see problems if parliament isn’t resumed before budget deadline.
“Right now they can spend from what has been approved for 2014 but next year they can only spend in accordance with the rules governing the spending of the first 90 days or 120 days if you add the additional month if you add the tabling of the budget …after the end of April there is no provision for spending with or without prorogation [un] less a budget is approved,” he said.
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