Governance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Gail Teixeira yesterday defended her tabling of a motion to amend the quorum for the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), arguing that the motion is one that offers protection to both sides of the National Assembly.
Responding to concerns raised last week by Chairman of the PAC and Member of the opposition APNU+AFC, Jermaine Figueira, Teixeira told a PAC meeting that the motion is quite in order and only seeks to ensure that both sides of the House are protected by being present whenever there is a sitting.
Figueira last week raised concerns during his party’s press conference about the motion that was tabled. It is expected to be debated tomorrow when the National Assembly sits.
“We in the APNU+AFC are confident that the effect of this motion will be that by their mere non-attendance, the PPP will stymie the functioning of the PAC rendering it impotent and nonfunctional. This will impact negatively on the committee’s ability to ensure accountability and transparency in the expenditures,” Figueira said, while noting that the committee has been carrying out its mandate and meeting on every statutory date.
“We see this as another attempt to slow down the work of the PAC by the PPP, to ensure that fewer meetings are held, and on occasions if they do not want certain agencies examined, they can now prevent that by simply not attending PAC.”
While she made no direct reference to this concern, Teixeira, who is also a member of the PAC said that the motion would ensure that the government is present at any sitting where the committee is examining government accounts.
All the sectoral committees except the Parliamentary Management Committee (PMC) require three persons for a quorum. The PMC quorum requires two members from both sides of the House and the Speaker.
In the same breath, Teixeira questioned if the opposition is concerned at the fact that they have not been attending PMC meetings within the last year.
She stated that important issues have been put on hold due to the absence of a quorum in the PMC between March 2021 and this year. She added that in many instances only one member of the opposition would attend or in some instances no one.
“Why are you looking at us? Are you speaking because you are guilty? In the PMC we only have discussions. We cannot make decisions because we have no quorum,” she emphasised.
The PAC Chairman last week argued that the current arrangement for a quorum for the committee provides for a more independent and apolitical environment.
Figueira said that the issue has never been discussed at the level of the PAC, although the mover of the motion is a member of the committee. He also suggested that the procedure adopted by Teixeira is incorrect as he argued that it should be done via the Standing Orders Committee of Parliament. However, Teixeira said she acted in her right as a Member of Parliament to table the motion in the House.
On the latter point, Figueira said the committee, Chaired by Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir, has not met since the life of the 12th Parliament began in August 2020.
“We call on the Speaker to act and the people of Guyana to speak out against this deliberate act to prevent scrutiny, hinder the proper examination of national expenditures and to limit the PAC’s work to hold government and accounting officers accountable,” Figueira said last week.
