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Trotman ‘expected current Bill would have been addressed first’

Apr 21, 2009 News

Though heartened to hear the statement by Head of State Bharrat Jagdeo that in two months’ time a Freedom of Information Bill will be tabled in the National Assembly, leader of the Alliance For Change Raphael Trotman said that he would have expected the Bill tabled by him would have been addressed first.
According to Trotman, the Bill that was tabled by him was not a piece that he “just imagined” pointing to the fact that it was based on a model that is in force in Trinidad and Tobago.
He further added that the Bill has been thoroughly addressed by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative.
According to Trotman one would have considered that in an effort to save time, the government would have at least worked with the one that was tabled, questioning if they found the Bill in his name, “totally unacceptable.”
“We are already drafting it (FOI)…It is something in my manifesto…We have already gone beyond many countries in terms of changes to the constitutional system,” Jagdeo told media operatives in Trinidad.
Trotman had recently told this newspaper that he was disappointed that the Government did not see it fit to support the Freedom of Information legislation in 2008 but was, nevertheless, optimistic for 2009.
He had noted that his disappointment was further fuelled by the fact that the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association had held a workshop for Parliamentarians and media operatives, where Freedom of Information (FOI) was extensively discussed.
He conceded that legislation such as the FOI will take time, but pointed out that there was a resounding call by Guyanese, who were now beginning to understand the importance of such a piece of legislation, as well as the calls from the international organisations.
Trotman emphasized that Freedom of Information is important for good governance and transparency.
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.

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