The Auditor General’s report will be laid in the House today during the 14th sitting of the National Assembly while the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) still hasn’t been convened.
Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon yesterday described this state of affairs as an attempt to derail parliamentary democracy while designated chair of the PAC, David Patterson has said the Opposition members of the PAC will skip the sitting unless a meeting is duly convened.
“The failure to address the concerns of the Opposition…is preventing transparency and accountability,” Harmon said during a video statement while Patterson has written yet another letter in which he registers disappointment that the PAC has not been convened.
Contacted yesterday by Stabroek News for a response, Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir said that he will address the matter at the beginning of the sitting.
He had previously told reporters that his office was “working hard” to convene the first meetings of the various Parliamentary Committees including the PAC.
Responding to questions following the handing over of the 2019 Auditor General’s Report, Nadir said that his office was facing “some” challenges in convening the first meetings and priority is being placed on having all members present.
There has however been no meeting and no notice of a meeting even though all members are likely to be present for tomorrow’s sitting.
Patterson indicated that his most recent correspondence has received no response beyond an acknowledgement that the email was received.
In a letter dated December 21, Patterson tells the Speaker that he “notes with disappointment, that no notice for the convening of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has been issued, thus it is now highly unlikely that you will be upholding your duty to summon the first meeting to have this very important committee constitutionally established.”
The designated Chair of the PAC drew attention to the fact that he has been lobbying for a meeting via correspondence dated November 18 and 25 as well as December 1, 10 and 18 without luck.
“It is unacceptable to have the Parliament convened at great expense to the citizens, and not use this opportunity to convene committee meetings. It is disrespectful to the Members and a disservice to the country. As such, we do not see any benefit in attending a parliamentary session, which does not take the opportunity, to reestablish our Assembly on a firm footing,” the letter continues.
Contacted by Stabroek News, Patterson was keen to clarify that he was speaking on behalf of the opposition members of the PAC and not the entire opposition when he suggested they would boycott the session.
“I will not be there and the other PAC members will not be there. I may ask one member to attend virtually to ask the question at the start but for now we will not be there,” he explained.
The other opposition members of the PAC are Juretha Fernandes, Ganesh Mahipal and Jermaine Figueira. All three parliamentarians have submitted questions which are slated to be answered today.
Patterson however remains perpetually hopeful.
“In the past, when faced with similar circumstances, former Speakers would have requested that our Standing Orders be suspended by motion, hence suspending the time required for scheduling of committee meetings (which is three (3) days in the case of the PAC),” he reminds while pleading that Nadir confirm his willingness to request that the Parliament suspend the PAC Standing Orders and summon a meeting at very short notice.
“The Opposition Members of the PAC will be on standby, ready and able to attend as soon as there is any indication from your good self, about convening the first meeting of the PAC,” he concluded.
