Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir was this evening forced to suspend the second reading of the controversial Natural Resources Fund (NRF) bill after 18 members of the Opposition got out of their seats and onto the main floor to drown out Senior Minister with the responsibility for Finance Dr Ashni Singh as he was on the floor.
The Opposition and a number of civil society organisations have been calling for the bill, which seeks to repeal the Natural Resources Fund Act of 2019, to be sent to a special select committee for debate and consultations.
The debate was scheduled to commence following the passage of the Local Content Bill but as the House resumed its sitting, Opposition Chief Whip Christopher Jones rose to request that the Speaker refer the bill to the Committee.
“Comrade Speaker at this late hour, as it relates to this Natural Resources Fund Bill it has come in for sharp criticisms from political parties, churches etc essentially calling for the government to delay the passage of this bill so as to allow wide consultation so that all of the Guyanese society could have the opportunity to contribute to this bill. Comrade Speaker I believe that this bill is beyond us in this House, it speaks about the future of generations,” Jones said before being interrupted by the Speaker.
Speaker Nadir said that “I hear your comment. Your members would have ample opportunity to continue to make that plea but as the Standing Orders go I must now call on the honourable Minister to move that the bill be read a second time.”
At that point, Jones and his colleagues stood in objection and began using water bottles, sanitizer bottles and other objects to bang on the table shouting “no, no thieving bill must pass.”
“Honourable member Jones, I am not in favour of your move for this bill to be sent to a select committee until I hear this debate,” Nadir added.
After about five minutes of the Opposition banging on the desk, Nadir called on Jones, Sherod Duncan, Tabitha Saraboo-Halley, Ronald Cox, Ganesh Mahipaul and Annette Ferguson to withdraw from the Assembly before handing the floor to Singh to present the bill.
This led to Jones leading his colleagues to centre stage where they increased their volume and whipped out the whistles drowning out Singh.
The House is currently in suspension.