Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir yesterday shot down a request by Leader of the Opposition Aubrey Norton calling for the House to debate the allegations of corrupt practices involving Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo along with an international investigation into his conduct.
The request along with a motion was submitted to the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs on Wednesday afternoon. The request which was addressed to Speaker Manzoor Nadir, reminded of the two VICE News reports with allegations against Jagdeo.
Norton submitted “…the revelations made by VICE News are damning and speak directly to the increasing levels of corruption in our society and its negative impact on the lives of the people of Guyana and therefore certainly qualify to be dealt with under the Standing Order as a matter of definite, urgent and of public importance.
“In the circumstance, I am making a request for permission to move the adjournment under Standing Orders No. 12 of the National Assembly.”
Standing Order 12 of the National Assembly speaks about definite matters of urgent public importance. It states that any duly appointed member can move for the adjournment of the Assembly for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance.
It adds “A Member who wishes so to ask leave to move the adjournment of the Assembly shall, before the commencement of the Sitting, hand to the Speaker a written notification of the matter which he or she wishes to discuss. The Speaker shall refuse to allow the claim unless he or she is satisfied that the matter is definite, urgent and of public importance and may properly be raised on a motion for the adjournment of the Assembly.”
When the National Assembly met yesterday, Speaker Nadir invited Norton to present his motion after which a ruling was delivered.
Nadir said that he considered the request and noted that it has to be of definite urgency and public importance.
“The matter has to be definite urgency and public importance. The other consideration I had to look up is the basis for the request and the basis for that request are media allegations of corruption and I’ve seen in the media many such allegations of corruption against many current members of this Assembly.
“If we have to take every allegation in the press on any issue, then as a matter of urgent public importance, then we’re going to have a parliament that will be considerably delayed but applying the two basic principles of urgency and public importance, I do not see the urgency of this. While the issue of corruption is important to all of us, the urgency of the particular allegation I cannot accept and so I deny this request,” the Speaker said.
Norton’s motion, which was seconded by Leader of the Alliance For Chance Khemraj Ramjattan, argued that if the allegations are proven to be true then Jagdeo’s alleged actions would have violated the constitution. It further argued that Guyanese have repeatedly called on President Irfaan Ali to remove Jagdeo to facilitate an impartial investigation into the allegations.
“…the main opposition political parties, the People’s National Congress Reform and the Alliance For Change have also called on the President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana to convene an independent and impartial investigation into these allegations. AND WHEREAS, Guyana is a signatory to the UN Convention on Corruption and the Government of Guyana is obligated to honour its commitment to the said Convention.
“BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Assembly calls on the Government to take immediate action to ensure an independent, credible and impartial investigation by international investigators into the allegations of bribery, corruption and money laundering as revealed in the two documentaries released by VICE News involving Hon, Bharrat Jagdeo, MP and Vice President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana,” the motion states.
The motion was filed in relation to the VICE News docu-series where Jagdeo’s former tenant Su Zhirong made a series of allegations against him. President Ali has so far refused to ask Jagdeo to step down to facilitate an investigation into the allegations, instead, he cast aspersions on the VICE News reporter Isobel Yeung’s motive behind the reports.
Jagdeo has vehemently denied these allegations and continues to. He has threatened to sue Su, however, Su has seemingly left the country.
