Latest update November 26th, 2024 1:00 AM
Parliamentary recess ends…APNU prioritizes unfinished work in Committee of Privileges
By Abena Rockcliffe
The National Assembly officially came out of recess yesterday after a two-month period but a date is still to be set for
APNU Leader,
David Granger
the next sitting of Parliament.
Even as he explained that he has no idea when would be the next sitting, Leader of the Opposition, David Granger yesterday told the media that there are several items on APNU’s priority list; these include the conclusion of matters before the Committee of Privileges.
Parliament would dissolve if the No-Confidence Motion which the Alliance For Change tabled against the government is passed.
But Granger seems to want to get some amount of work done before such a time.
He said yesterday that his coalition is interested in addressing outstanding issues with Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh.
In July last APNU’s Shadow Minister of Finance, Carl Greenidge, made yet another attempt to bring Dr. Singh into account for his “illegal” actions.
Greenidge tabled a motion in the National Assembly to take Dr. Singh before a Parliamentary Committee of Privileges.
Greenidge, at that time, had told the House that Dr. Singh violated the law by spending monies disapproved by the Combined Opposition during the 2014 Budget debates, as reflected in a $4.6B Statement of Excess which the Minister tabled.
The Opposition Member of Parliament told the House that a “constitutional crisis” has been triggered by the Finance Minister’s use of public funds because the sums included on the $4.6B Statement of Excess, represent expenditure not approved by the National Assembly.
Greenidge argued that “He (Dr. Singh) spent the money then come for us to approve what we had already disapproved.”
Greenidge said that the Minister continues to defy the decisions of the House and has to be held answerable for his actions. He said that this cannot be condoned.
But aside from the Dr. Singh saga, Granger said that APNU will “certainly bring motions of our own to press ahead in concerns in poverty elimination and dealing with mismanagement of funds.” The leader also pointed out that the Telecommunications Bill has been languishing for a while on the Order Paper.
APNU had asked Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman to allow the Committee of Natural Resources to meet during recess to address “urgent” matters with relation to Chinese logging company Bai Shan Lin. Therefore, it is expected that APNU would be making that a priority as well.
Asked yesterday if he desired for the No-Confidence to be treated as a priority, Granger reminded that it was an AFC piloted motion and said that Party will make the final determination on its prioritization.
Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs was reported in sections of the media as saying that a meeting of the Parliamentary Management Committee is set for Wednesday, October 15 where a date for the first sitting is expected to be set.
He told media operatives that he wasn’t sure if a date for the next sitting will indeed be set then, but confirmed that Parliament will not meet before then.
Following the agreement of a date, the Order Paper will then be set with the items to be addressed at the first sitting.
Last week, the Speaker of the House of Assembly said there is a full agenda of critical issues to be addressed too when the House resumes. These include the Anti – Money Laundering Bill, the Telecommunications and Public Utilities Commission Bill, the Education Bill and the Customs Amendment Bill.
He also told the media that the outcome of the No-Confidence Motion cannot be anticipated, taking into consideration the many possibilities that surround it.
He alluded that one of those possibilities is that it could remain on the Order Paper for several months; awaiting a debate.
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