With the next sitting of the National Assembly scheduled for May 4th, the opposition has expressed concern about the lengthy adjournment.
“I find it strange and totally unacceptable. There is little that we can do but let the public know,” PPP/C Chief Whip Gail Teixeira told Stabroek News yesterday in an invited comment.
Thursday’s sitting lasted less than an hour. When Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, who is the leader of government business, rose and announced the next date, members of the opposition were clearly surprised.
A few inquired when would be the next sitting and Nagamootoo repeated that the House would stand adjourned until May 4th.
A resolution which was needed to ensure Guyana becomes a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and three motions pertaining to the outstanding work of key parliamentary oversight committees were the only items on the agenda for Thursday’s sitting.
There have been expressed concerns that there are more important matters that could have been addressed, such as the Telecommunications Bill and the Narcotics Drug and Psychotropic Substances (Control) (Amendment) Bill.
The short sitting, the cost of which was pegged at approximately $1.5M, saw the absence of many opposition MPs.
Teixeira said that the Standing Orders allow for the government side to set the date for each sitting but noted that it came as a complete “shock” that Nagamootoo announced that the next sitting will be on May 4th, which is also the eve of Arrival Day.
She said that the opposition side of the House had no indication from the government Chief Whip that there would have been an almost two-month gap between sittings.
She said it is unacceptable that government seems to have an almost non-existent parliamentary agenda.
Teixeira reiterated that letting the public know is the opposition’s only option and it is from this that the public can made judgements.
According to her, subsequent to the announcement of the date, she learnt that the Speaker and ministers of the government would be travelling in April and this was rationale for the lengthy adjournment.
