Trotman’s Freedom of Info Bill “weak, a cut-and-paste job” - Govt.

Trotman’s Freedom of Info Bill “weak, a cut-and-paste job” – Govt.

Nov 09, 2010 News

Leader of the Alliance For Change, Raphael Trotman, has written to the Speaker of the National Assembly to seek to have his Freedom of Information Bill debated before the end of this month, but support from the government benches is not likely to be forthcoming.
A senior Government official on Sunday confirmed that the Bill put forward by Trotman was reviewed but that the government considered it to be, “very weak and a cut and paste job.”
The official said that the President does look at Freedom of Information legislation as a priority but he wants one that is relevant and appropriate for Guyana.
“Expect an enlightened Bill from the Government.”
In Trotman’s notification to the Speaker of the National Assembly that he would like to have the Bill debated he said, “While I am disappointed that the Bill has not been passed into law, I am encouraged by the frequent references to the necessity of Freedom of Information legislation being made in many quarters, more particularly, by leading government functionaries.”
He said that he believes that the legislation is critical to improving Guyana’s democracy and exacting better governance from the administration “at all levels of our decision-making processes, and that its delay by me in presenting it is actually aiding and abetting that mischief, which it is intended to tackle and remove.”
He pointed out that it is time for him to test within the Assembly, the genuineness of the numerous favourable claims and assertions that Members of the National Assembly have been making publicly.
It must be recalled that Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon when asked about Trotman’s Bill, had said that the constitutional responsibility for introducing legislation lies with the elected government. He said that that the drafting of the Freedom of Information Legislation along with the Broadcast Bill is taking longer than expected.
Dr Luncheon said that the administration has been looking at several versions of the legislation but they have to take onboard what is felt to be responses to Guyanese reality and the obligations, rights, treaties and conventions that the country has signed on to.
He said that Cabinet protocols include continuous reviews, all of which are intended to be tabled, and with a version that will represent Cabinet’s will.
That process, namely the protocols to follow, has not been concluded as yet for either of the two Bills, Dr Luncheon said, as he added that, “Cabinet has seen quite a few drafts.”

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Trotman’s Freedom of Info Bill “weak, a cut-and-paste job” – Govt.

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Trotman’s Freedom of Info Bill “weak, a cut-and-paste job” – Govt.

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