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Trotman’s FOI Bill deferred again
While the Freedom of Information Bill in the name of the Leader of the Alliance For Change, Raphael Trotman was listed for debate during the last sitting of the National Assembly, this did not materialise.
Trotman requested that Speaker of the House Ralph Ramkarran defer the debate.
This was done by the House Speaker and Trotman gave as his explanation the fact that he was working with the government to seek to gain consensus on the proposed legislation.
Trotman has had his draft on hold for four years.
Trotman subsequently told media operatives that the government has signaled that they will be tabling a FOI bill in January and he wanted
to be able to peruse their proposal.
Raphael Trotman
He said that he was in extensive discussions with Member of Parliament, and Presidential Advisor Gail Teixeira, “and we are hoping that we can find consensus.”
Trotman said that at the end of the day he does not believe that Freedom of Information should be a contentious issue, “and that we can find common ground on moving it forward because ultimately the people will benefit…journalists will have a better handle on things.”
The AFC leader said that he believes that overall, Freedom of Information Legislation will improve Guyana’s democracy.
“It is important that we have a document that we can all sign on to.”
He made mention of the fact that he was cognizant of fellow Parliamentarian Winston Murray’s condition in the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and did not want to have to fight in the parliament at that point in time, as “we are still in a sense sad.”
According to Trotman, the fact that his Bill languished on the Order Paper for four years had just demonstrated the nature of the Government in that they had preferred to do things their way.
He said that he believes that his FOI Bill has been a thorn in the administration’s side but greater sense will prevail, “and before this session ends we should have Freedom of Information Legislation.”
Trotman said that he believes that it has been accepted by both parties that Guyana is at a stage where FOI is necessary.
He said that the two parties are currently trying to narrow the contentious issues and try to ensure that they have a bill that the nation can accept.
“We are at a stage now where we are accepting that this is necessary…We are differing somewhat on the procedures as to whose Bill and what should come forward.”
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, in a letter to the Speaker of the National Assembly and copied to Opposition Leader, Robert Corbin, and Leader of the Alliance For Change, Raphael Trotman, announced that a new deadline for the Government Access to Information Bill has been set.
According to Hinds, in keeping with the recent pronouncements by Head of State Bharrat Jagdeo, he was informing the House that the government intends to bring the Access to Information Bill in January.
The letter was dispatched during the previous sitting of the National Assembly
Trotman at that time told this newspaper that he felt it was a victory, given that the government has now been forced to make a pronouncement on the issue.
He did point out that there have been several deadlines issued before, all of which the government failed to honour.
Only recently Trotman had written to the Speaker of the National Assembly asking that the Bill in his name be placed on the order paper for debate before the end of this month.
Subsequent to that announcement, a government source had stated that Trotman’s Bill was very weak and a cut and paste job.
Trotman responded by pointing out that the Bill he had tabled was reviewed by a reputable Commonwealth body which had even had an input in the Bill.
Several Government officials, including President Jagdeo, had said that the Bill would be tabled in the House by August before the Parliamentary recess but this did not happen.
The Bill is yet to be placed before the National Assembly.
The essence of the Freedom of Information Act, according to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), is the empowerment of the populace to request any piece of information (with few exceptions, such as medical records) held by a public authority. President Bharrat Jagdeo, during the Summit of Americas in Trinidad and Tobago last year April, had announced that within three months the government would table Freedom of Information Legislation.
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