I will not be bullied by the ruling party – Speaker Trotman

Aug 07, 2012 News

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“The Govt. is obviously accustomed to railroading its way through the National Assembly. I can only imagine the pressure that was brought to bear against my predecessor.”

By Gary Eleazar

The Linden fallout has already triggered a successful ‘no-confidence motion’ against Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee, but the Government has indicated that nothing compels adherence.
The ruling party has since indicated that it “stands solidly behind Rohee”, and denounced the recent “no confidence” motion which it says was improperly tabled and passed in the National Assembly.
During a Parliamentary debate this past week, Dr Vindiya Persaud, a Government MP, had intimated that the motion was improperly tabled, but she was quickly upbraided by Speaker of the House, Raphael Trotman.

Trotman defended the tabling of the motion saying that to impute otherwise would mean that he or the Clerk of the National Assembly caused the motion to be tabled improperly.
The Freedom House public missive said that “The recent passage of that motion of no confidence by the one seat combined opposition is a further testimony to the sad deterioration that has taken place in the National Assembly, since the Speakership changed hands.”
The PPP is contending that the motion should not have been entertained in the first place and that its passage creates a further brazen unconstitutional occurrence in the National Assembly.
The party said that it is also further testimony to the unreasonableness in the conduct of national issues being considered in Parliament.
“The Speaker, Trotman is showing great incompetence in that office.”
The ruling party argues that “Time and again, it has been mentioned by political parties, stakeholders and civic society that the power structure in Guyana is clearly demarcated by the Constitution.”
The party points to a hierarchy which places at the helm “The Executive/Presidency” with the National Assembly and the Judiciary following respectively.
According to Freedom House, the pillars are independent “but have their roles spelt out in the Constitution.”
House Speaker Trotman has since fired back at the ruling party saying that “The government is obviously accustomed to railroading its way through the National Assembly… I can only imagine the pressure that was brought to bear against my predecessor.”
According to Trotman “A basic understanding, on the government’s part, of parliamentary practice and the majority’s inherent rights and responsibilities is obviously lacking.”
The Speaker was adamant that “I will not be bullied but will continue to apply the established practice and procedures to administer the affairs of the National Assembly…I will do so without “fear or favour, affection or ill will”.That was the solemn oath I took.”
Trotman says that if the Government side can demonstrate where Standing Orders are being violated, then the necessary adjustments will have to be made, “but otherwise, its members need to take the same advice given to the Opposition in the period 1992 to 2011, and that is to learn to live with the realities of the system and work with them.”
Responding to the charge by the PPP which alleges incompetence on the part of the Speaker, Trotman says that “even though I recognize that the Speaker’s position is a difficult and thankless one, I am buoyed by the expressions of confidence and support I receive from Members of Parliament and the public…I will not allow negativity to dissuade me from my task.”
The ruling party has charged that that event in recent times has shown that the combined opposition, which controls the National Assembly by one seat, has been misusing that institution and constantly colliding with democratic norms and practices.
According to the ruling party “The violent turmoil at Linden was organized and orchestrated by the opposition AFC, APNU and other extremists elements centered around the opposition’s insistence that Lindeners should not pay any increase in electricity charges.”
The party is adamant that “while holding this absurd stance, the same opposition had slashed the subsidy for the Guyana Power and Light by over $1B.”

Freedom House is adamant that “it was because the opposition parties hijacked the protests, that peaceful demonstrators turned unruly, threatening a breakdown of law and order in the Township…Three persons lost their lives as a result of this act.”
Freedom House serves as the Headquarters for the People’s Progressive Party, and is headed in all capacities by Head of State Donald Ramotar, given that he is also the party’s General Secretary.
The party says that Rohee is being blamed for the shooting and “rather than wait for the agreed Commission of Inquiry to go into the matter, the opposition moved a motion of no confidence in the House, demanding that President Donald Ramotar relieve Clement Rohee of his duties…This demand pre-empts the Commission’s decision. The PPP reiterates its full support of Clement Rohee and condemns the attacks by the opposition to tarnish the good name of the Minister of Home Affairs.”

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