Gov’t going to court over OP budget cuts

May 24, 2012 News

– Luncheon says President’s office crippled

The government yesterday announced that it is moving to the High Court to reverse a decision of the Parliament to cut off key financing to the Presidential Secretariat, crippling the office of President Donald Ramotar.
“This has severely compromised the ability of the President to discharge his constitutional obligations,” said Dr Roger Luncheon, Head of the Presidential Secretariat.

President Donald Ramotar

While the bulk of the cuts affects low carbon projects the government is pursuing, presidential advisors are among 122 workers at the Presidential Secretariat who risk losing their jobs, Dr Luncheon told reporters at his weekly post-Cabinet news briefing.
One month ago, the opposition controlled legislature voted to cut the 2012 budget by $20 billion. The spending that directly affects the President’s office amounts to some $300 million.
“It has essentially stripped the President of advisory services, such advisory services provided by Cabinet, the Defence Board, Press and Publicity, protocol, climate change et cetera. These cuts are both on employment cost and other charges,” Luncheon stated.
He blasted the opposition for putting the Presidential office in such “dire” circumstances, calling it “common sense at its lowest.”
“As a consequence, Cabinet has decided to have these actions by the parliamentary opposition alliance judicially reviewed,” Luncheon stated.
The opposition parties have said that they would be willing to reverse the budget cuts once their conditions are satisfied, but Luncheon was not optimistic.
‘Why the hell would you do something that you have to undo?”
Early last month, Chief Justice Ian Chang dismissed a case by the government in which it sought to reverse the opposition’s move to change the composition of Parliamentary oversight committees.
The Chief Justice ruled that the court cannot inquire or interfere in the proceedings of the legislature.
On November 28, Guyanese voted in national elections that gave the opposition a one-seat majority in the 65-seat legislature.
This is the first time in the country’s post-independence history that a government in office does not control Parliament. Guyana celebrates its 46th Independence anniversary Saturday.
Chairman of the Alliance for Change Khemraj Ramjattan brushed aside the court challenge. He said that it was meant as a distraction for the criticisms of National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL). NICIL oversees several state corporations and is responsible for government investments.
‘They are masters of the art of distracting from the real issues and so they would want us to talk about court case and all of that,” Ramjattan stated.
‘If we do that (cut the budget) what is so unconstitutional about it; so our vote in parliament by 33 members is an illegal vote, is that what they gonna carry us to court for?” Ramjattan asked.