Opposition seeks to expand Leader’s benefits in new Bill

May 23, 2009 News

The Bill defining the Benefits of a sitting Parliamentary Opposition Leader was on Thursday deferred to a later date, but the parliamentary opposition is seeking to have the range of benefits expanded.
The Bill intituled Leader of the Opposition (Benefits and Other Facilities) Act 2009 was tabled by the Finance Minister on April 30, last.
The piece of proposed legislation, according to Dr Singh, is one of many in which the government is now seeking to have a statute-based approach to such matters rather than leaving to the latitude and discretion of the administration.
Under the proposed legislation, the Leader of the Opposition shall be entitled at Government expense to:- a rent-free furnished office accommodation; medical attention including medical treatment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred by him for himself and the dependent members of his family; full-time security service at his official place of residence; the services of a secretary or an executive secretary, a chauffeur, a gardener and a domestic servant and vacation allowance as is applicable to a Minister.
The opposition, however, on Thursday last tabled a series of amendments that seek to expand the benefits of the Opposition leader.
The amendment presented by Winston Murray and seconded by the party’s Chief Whip Lance Carberry seeks to extend the security services provided by the Guyana Police Force to the office of the Leader of the opposition and not the residence of the person holding that office.
It also seeks to extend the number of staff to be funded by the state for the leader of the opposition to cater for a research officer, executive assistant, clerical/office assistant and cleaner.
The amendments also seek to have the leader of the opposition paid a salary and parliamentary benefits equivalent to those of a Cabinet Minister.
It is unclear whether the government will allow the benefits to be extended by means of the amendments tabled by the Opposition Members of Parliament.
Following the passage in the National Assembly the Bill will, without prejudice to the generality of the provisions, prescribe the sums to which the Leader of the Opposition is entitled to receive and the date from which any sum is to be paid and every regulation made under the Act shall be laid as soon as possible after it is made before the House.
The Bill comes on the heels of a heated debate in the House on a similar Bill two Fridays ago. On that occasion the benefits Bill for former Presidents was formalized.
The Guyana Action Party (GAP) was the only party that supported that Bill as is with limited reservations whilst there was only principled support from the two main opposition parties namely the Alliance for Change (AFC) and the People’s National Congress Reform.

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Opposition seeks to expand Leader’s benefits in new Bill

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