Trotman upbraids parliamentarians’ deteriorating decorum

Feb 23, 2010 News

…extends proverbial olive branch toward improving political relations

“From this day onwards we expect the honour and respectability of this National Assembly to be restored and for us, its members, to reflect and personify the dignity that is expected as we get about the people’s business. Let us on this day choose to follow the path, and embrace the vision, of our founding fathers.”

Alliance for Change Leader, Raphael Trotman, yesterday delivered one of the only presentations in the 2010 Budget debates to which Government members of the House paid attention without heckling as he upbraided Members of Parliament over their recent furor in the House as well as the constant deteriorating decorum.
He also extended the proverbial olive branch on behalf of the AFC to the MPs calling for a renewed commitment to re-dedicate their energies toward improving the relations between each other and restore the relationship with the people that they are expected to have.
“From this day onwards we expect the honour and respectability of this National Assembly to be restored and for us, its members, to reflect and personify the dignity that is expected as we get about the people’s business…Let us on this day choose to follow the path, and embrace the vision, of our founding fathers.”
In his presentation, Trotman drew reference to the prayer that is recited at the beginning of each sitting of the House with the sincere hope that they will have a different meaning and application henceforth: “Grant us O God, the vision to lead, that all people of this fair land may enter into that state of brotherhood and unity, where the mind is led forward by Thee into ever widening thought and action.”
Trotman, in what he called one of the biggest disappointments of the 9th Parliament pointed to the lack of enhanced framework for co-operation.
“Promises made were not kept and there is so much we could have accomplished if we had worked together to define our inter-party relations within and outside of the National Assembly.”
In pointing to the fact that today marks the 40th anniversary of Guyana as a Republic, he said that the country is at a juncture.
“A Republic, by definition, is a state in which power is held by the people and their elected representatives…If we are to be true to ourselves we will have to concede, and admit, that in Guyana, we have not realised the ideal Guyana state that was the vision which was proclaimed and bequeathed to us by the founding fathers of our nation.”
Trotman posited that the country was “so far adrift are we today that we are in some doubt as to how to organise the state and to give fulfillment to that vision.”
He told the House that “Rather than embrace an ideal of nationalism we have preferred instead to each execute our individual roles, according to our individual interpretations; but have done very little, or nothing collectively, to build an indivisible, secular, democratic and sovereign Republic of Guyana after 40 years.”
According to Trotman, ultimately it was the people of Guyana who have suffered and fled by the thousands to greener pastures.
“We have meandered for 40 years and now find ourselves at this juncture; a juncture that beckons a new opportunity for us to act in accordance with the Constitution and to establish and forge a system of governance that promotes concerted effort and broad-based participation in national decision-making in order to develop a viable economy and a harmonious community based on democratic values, social justice, fundamental human rights, and the rule of law, and celebrates our cultural and racial diversity and strengthens our unity by eliminating any and every form of discrimination.”
Trotman challenged the parliamentarians to choose today, “wither direction goes the Republic of Guyana, its people, and its elected representatives…For us in the AFC, we choose to take the turn at the intersection and re-commence that journey that was the vision of the founding fathers of this Republic, and we invite all members of this House, and the constituents they represent, to share this journey with the AFC.”

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