AFC declares ‘truce’ as seminar concludes

May 23, 2012 News

– UK MP optimistic about Guyana’s 10th Parliament

Guyana’s Members of Parliament (MPs) yesterday concluded a two-day seminar at the Pegasus Hotel on a high note, with at least one United Kingdom Parliamentarian, David Lammy, expressing optimism for the 10th Parliament and its configuration.
Hopefulness was running high among the MPs that joined in on the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in collaboration with UNDP-sponsored programme, to the point that Alliance for Change (AFC) Executive Member Moses Nagamootoo declared that his party will be extending a truce to the other parties.

House Speaker Raphael Trotman (centre) making a point during the closing press engagement

This truce, he said, will be in force as the party continues to assess the renewed camaraderie demonstrated during the course of the seminar.
Speaker of the House, Raphael Trotman, who hosted an impromptu press engagement at the close of the seminar yesterday said that while there isn’t any finalized document, that can be presented with the various declarations.
He said that there were some seven working groups over the course of the two days which would have made several recommendations that still have to be signed onto by the MPs.
Government Chief Whip Gail Teixeira implored that it be recognized that the seminar is one that has afforded an excellent opportunity for the members of the House, 23 of whom are new.
She reminded that Guyana and its Parliament continue to operate in uncharted waters and that there is still a long road ahead with several more hurdles.
She pleaded that the MPs should be given a chance to have the forum work and allow for stakeholders to not feel too restricted to benchmarks and deadlines.
Lammy told media operatives yesterday that as he leaves the forum to head to his homeland, he remains optimistic about the prospects for the 10th Parliament given what has been demonstrated over the course of the two days.
Lammy says that he sees the willingness on the part of the government to work together with the opposition and APNU representative Dr. George Norton accepted that the opposition role is not to take advantage of its majority.
The visiting Parliamentary specialists praised what they saw as common ground being established on some occasions and the fact that some could have looked across partisan lines.