Government yesterday passed a motion to restrict the consideration of the budget estimates to three days, which led to accusations by the PPP/C that it seeking to avoid scrutiny of proposed spending.
Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, who moved the motion, dismissed suggestions that government is afraid of an examination of the estimates and noted that while there were fewer days, the hours for each sitting have been extended. “Nobody’s scared of these guys. Who are these people for us to be afraid of?” Nagamootoo said.
However, opposition leader Bharrat Jagdeo charged that the government was seeking to dodge opposition scrutiny. “This is a bigger budget than the actual 2014 budget. It also has several new features in that ministries were reorganised so the line-items would have changed and so, if anything, I thought they would have given us more time rather than less time to consider the estimates,” Jagdeo told reporters after the motion was passed. “How can you justify reducing the consideration from seven days to three days, if you are not afraid of greater scrutiny of these estimates?” he added.
Following the conclusion of the budget debate, the National Assembly resolves itself into the Committee of Supply to consider the estimates and supplementary estimates of expenditure and statements of excesses presented to the Assembly. The period for the consideration of the estimates usually provides the opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) an opportunity to consider the estimates line by line and proffer related question to the respective government ministers.
The government’s motion specifically called for a suspension of Standing Orders 10 (1) and (2) to extend the daily times for the sitting of the Assembly from 2pm to 11pm in order to complete the consideration of the estimates within three days.
Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira challenged the motion. She said it was out of order since it failed to reference Standing Order 73 (1), which provides for a maximum seven days for consideration of the estimates. The motion, she argued, was improper since it did not suspend Standing Order 73(1).
She also highlighted the fact that there was no discussion between the two sides, contrary to the usual courtesy that is extended. “Outside of what is a procedural matter, it augurs badly for the new administration to restrict the debate on the estimates to three days. Debates on the estimates have taken place between five to seven days while the PPP were in government,” she told the Speaker, whom she referred to as “a new kid on the block.”
“We have no objections to the times but we are opposed to the three days that the estimates are being cut from the maximum of seven days and this is unacceptable,” she added. She further argued that the renaming of several ministries will “double up” the work of the opposition.
Despite Teixeira’s objections, the motion was deemed proper by Speaker Barton Scotland.
“It seems to me that the text 73(1) speaks to the maximum time and I can find no fault with the motion as presented,” Scotland noted before putting the motion to a vote, where it was carried by the government with 32 votes to 28 opposition votes.
Consequent to the decision, the opposition members walked out of the House when Minister of Social Protection Volda Lawrence stood to make her presentation.
According to Jagdeo, it was important that they have a meeting at that time to discuss their response to the government’s attempts to avoid scrutiny.
Jagdeo, speaking with reporters, said that while the government calls for cooperation from the opposition, it is hell-bent on railroading every practice of the House that has been respected since independence.
Jagdeo contends that the motion is part of a pattern to muzzle the opposition in the house.
“They are afraid that several elements [of the budget] which are inconsistent with progress [will] be exposed in this house,” he said as he challenged the government’s attempts to limit his budget presentation to 45 minutes and replace him as the penultimate speaker in the budget debate.
“I was here in the past and sat on the other side and saw the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Desmond Hoyte, speak for two hours and we voted on the other side to allow him time until he finished his speech… so they are not only seeking to limit my speech to 45 minutes… this is part of a pattern to muzzle us… we will never become victims,” said Jagdeo.
“We represent a large number of people out there who voted for us and those who did not vote for us but expect us to still represent their interest because they are Guyanese. If I can’t speak in the chamber, I’ll speak outside the chamber,” he added
Meanwhile, Nagamootoo was unmoved by the criticism.
“We have here a full debate where every MP has been allowed to speak. There is no doubt that the opposition has given their views on the budget, which is what this general budget debate has been about,” he told Stabroek News.
“The rules state a maximum number of days. Usually Parliament goes to 6pm. We have extended this time during the estimates to 11pm. The number of days has been reduced but you have not reduced the time for the consideration. In that period, we will answer all of their questions, that is what is important but they can question us on every agency,” he explained
“We are trying to get things done for the Guyanese people but they want to lock us into a time wasting session when we can economise on time. We want to get a reasonable time within which the budget estimates could be considered,” he further stressed.
The consideration of the estimates is due to commence on Monday.
