In what can only be described as an unprecedented move to derail the Parliamentary process, opposition APNU+AFC MPs attempted to seize the Speaker’s Mace last night as part of their effort to stop the passage of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) bill.
The APNU+AFC Parliamentarians were scattered throughout the House chanting “no thieving bill must pass” while blaring whistles in an effort to drown out the presentation of Senior Minister in the Office of the President with the responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh.
Singh is the one that presented the bill for second reading on the floor just after 7 pm. The Opposition and a range of civil society voices had 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 chaos descended on the House when Speaker Manzoor Nadir placed the bill before the National Assembly to commence the debate. At that point, the Opposition members began using water bottles, sanitiser bottles and other objects to bang on the table shouting “no, no thieving bill must pass.”
That was followed by them moving on to the floor with MP Sherod Duncan bearing a placard ‘These new laws legalize stealing of your oil money’ and a whistle in his mouth. He was joined by several others who formed a moving circle on the floor as Singh was speaking.
Following a suspension of the sitting for the restoration of order, the Speaker took up his seat and the Mace was placed on the Clerk’s table indicating that the House was now in session. He handed the floor to Singh who continued his presentation on the controversial NRF bill.
Realising that their disruption tactic was getting them nowhere, the Opposition members decided to congregate in front of the Finance Minister as he was speaking and were blowing their whistles and chanting. Seeing the congregation in front of their colleague, the government MPs slowly moved in to form a wall around Singh and he continued speaking, unfazed by what was going on around him.
The Speaker sat in his chair observing the proceedings having already asked almost every Opposition MP, present, to withdraw from the Chamber over their disruptive behaviour.
Slowly, the Opposition began separating themselves and led by former junior Public Infrastructure Minister Annette Ferguson, they congregated at the Speaker’s table. Interestingly, hours before on the sidelines of a picketing exercise outside of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), shadow Legal Affairs Minister Roysdale Forde told media operatives that the Opposition had plans to ensure the non-passage of the NRF bill.
Back in the House as one group of MPs surrounded Singh and his colleagues, another group consisting of Ferguson, Forde, Amanza Walton-Desir, Duncan, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, Maureen Philadelphia and Juretha Fernandes among others were circling the Speaker’s table.
Ferguson, who was leading the line saw the Mace and possibly decided that it was an opening for the opposition.
It is important to note that the Mace must be present in the House to ensure the business of the National Assembly can go on. When out of the House, no business can be done.
At this time, Ferguson armed with a placard bearing the slogan “Yes to transparency, No to PPP/C corruption” around her neck, grabbed the lower portion of the Mace which was swiftly countered by the Sergeant-at-Arms and another Parliamentary Security Officer who held on to the other portions. At this point, it was complete chaos with a whistling Duncan and other Opposition MPs rushing to aid their colleague.
The push and pull between Ferguson and Parliamentary security officers caused her to fall backwards in dramatic fashion. This was all happening as Singh continued to narrate his government’s position on the bill.
“Sir we are now witnessing unprecedented vulgarity in this National Assembly of Guyana, consistent with the vulgarity of the Natural Resources Fund Act of the then APNU+AFC government,” Singh shouted as all hell broke loose in the chambers.
He was then stopped by the Speaker since the Mace managed to make its way out of the House. After a few minutes of trying to retrieve the Mace, it was back in the House and on the desk of the Speaker who then encouraged Singh to go on. This was followed by the Opposition MPs making their way back into the House as though nothing happened.
As a threat mitigation effort, the Speaker was then surrounded by Parliamentary Security Officers.
Shortly after the pandemonium, the bill was passed.
Later, a video surfaced of APNU+AFC MP Maureen Philadelphia hurling slurs at Parliamentary staffer Ean Mc Pherson.
It is unclear what, if any, disciplinary measures would be taken against the Opposition members for their behaviour.
The ruckus, minus the seizing of the Mace, mirrors the 2017 uproar in Parliament when the PPP/C was in the Opposition. Back then, during the consideration of estimates, the current Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill was suspended due to “gross misconduct”.
Edghill had refused to leave the chambers and the Police were subsequently called in with major drama unfolding. The then PPP/C Opposition had its members screaming “rape” and scuffling with the Police. MP Priya Manickchand was in tears after accusing the Police of manhandling her during the then commotion.
Back in 1991, pandemonium broke out in the National Assembly when the PPP succeeded in disrupting the session during which a drinking glass was hurled in the direction of the then Speaker, Sase Narain. During that sitting, the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 1991 which sought to extend the life of Parliament and consequently delay elections had come up for its second reading. The PPP, then led by its founder Cheddi Jagan, began banging a paper weight on his desk continuously demanding that he be given the right to speak.
Just as the APNU+AFC MPs began banging their desks in protests, back in 1991 the entire PPP Opposition did the same with paper weights. During the proceedings then PPP MP Isahak Basir got up from his seat and walked around to where the ceremonial mace lay on the table in front of the Speaker, picked it up and presented it to Jagan and told him he had the right to speak. By that time, Jagan had already flung law volumes and a water pitcher to the ground.
