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AFC to Ramotar: Tell us how you intend to create “real” jobs

Feb 14, 2012 News

 

The Alliance For Change (AFC) wants President Donald Ramotar to unveil plans on how he intends to create more “real and sustainable” employment in Guyana.
The party made the call yesterday amidst an ongoing quarrel between the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and the Opposition parties in Parliament over the make-up of a Committee of Selection.
The Committee comprises one member of the AFC, four from the coalition, A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) and four from the PPP/C. The approval of that committee would spell another loss of control for the PPP/C following the election of the Speaker to the Opposition. AFC leader, Raphael Trotman, a lawyer by profession was elected Speaker.
The Committee of Selection is tasked with ratifying Members of Parliament to be on critical oversight committees to overlook sectors including security, natural resources and finances.
According to AFC yesterday, it is committed to the President’s pledge made during the ceremonial opening on Thursday, where the Head of State sought to seek “compromise and consensus” with the Opposition parties in Parliament.
“… We applaud his efforts and pledge our support in this endeavour. We regret his expression of pessimism insofar as his anticipation of gridlock is concerned. The ratio of 4:4:1 proposed and accepted by the House for the composition of the Selection Committee ensures that the possibility of gridlock is considerably reduced and augers well for the future of the 10th Parliament,” the party said yesterday.
The unprecedented composition of the Parliament has perhaps, for the first time, offered real hope to all the citizens of the equitable participation in and benefit from any improvement and progress made in Guyana, AFC noted.
PPP/C has conceded a one-seat parliamentary minority winning 32 votes while APNU secured 26 and AFC seven seats, following the November 28 General and Regional Elections.
“The people of Guyana are keenly aware of the responsibility they have placed on the shoulders of all Members of Parliament and hope that a progressive and developmental agenda will be identified and pursued during the 10th parliament. The President’s continued lamentations about the non- election of his preferred candidate as Speaker, regrettably and perhaps unintentionally, conveyed a reluctance to accept the outcome of a democratic election held in the House over a month ago,” AFC said on its take of the government’s stance.
“This is new territory for His Excellency and his party but Guyanese on the 28th November 2011 designed and effected fundamental change in the way our nation’s business is to be conducted and the President and the parliamentarians should all take note. We have noted that the President’s address bore an uncanny and perhaps unsettling resemblance to his campaign speeches.”
Explaining, AFC said that there was frequent reference to past projects and their “alleged benefits” which were only surpassed by the “paucity and possibly complete lack of information on how the government intends to create real jobs for all Guyanese.”
AFC is “very nervous and concerned about the future. Will the president tell us how he proposes to create more real and sustainable employment for the people of Guyana,” the party asked.
Government would be worried about its loss of control in Parliament as it will soon be tabling the National Budget. It will be the first time since winning the 1992 elections that the budget will not likely be a mere formality.
Already, APNU leader, Brigadier (ag) David Granger, has indicated that the coalition wants more of a say on preparation of the Budget, a stance that has since been rebuffed by President Ramotar who insisted that the responsibility lies with government.

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