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President Ramotar slams Speaker for ‘political ruling’
– not preparing for snap elections
President Donald Ramotar has blasted Speaker of House, Raphael Trotman, for his Thursday night ruling that effectively barred Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee, from tabling any bills in Parliament.
President Donald Ramotar
Yesterday, during an interview with the state-owned National Communications Network (NCN), the Head of State, whose Presidency has been a bumpy one after his party lost the Parliamentary majority for the first time in 20 years following the November 28, 2011 elections, described the Speaker’s ruling as a political one.
The ruling has pitted the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) in a bitter battle against the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the 10-party A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) in a year which saw criticisms over the progress made in the National Assembly regarding its legislative work.
There have been a number of suspensions of sittings as a determined government and opposition refused to give ground on a number of issues.
On Thursday, following a motion to bar Minister Rohee from speaking in the National Assembly, Trotman, a former leader of the AFC, ruled that the matter should be sent to the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges which investigates the conduct of Members of Parliament.
The Speaker, who said that he was prepared to resign over what he admitted would be an unpopular decision, also said that the House has the authority to sanction its members and should not be fettered by the courts.
The ruling immediately came under fire from Government with Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, describing it as flawed and illegal.
Speaker erred
Yesterday, President Ramotar made it clear that the Speaker erred in sending the matter to the Committee as the Minister had not committed any offence or violated any rules in the National Assembly.
The motion to gag Rohee, tabled Thursday by Leader of the Opposition, Brigadier (Ret’d) David Granger, followed another move a few weeks ago to silence the Minister, in which the Speaker, after seeking legal advice, ruled that he had no authority to do so.
Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee.
On Thursday, there was strenuous opposition from the ruling PPP/C side over the tabling of the motion by Granger, with arguments that it was not proper and that Rohee’s freedom of expression was being trampled on.
There were also objections that a court action filed by government to nullify the no-confidence vote against the Minister, was still in progress and as such a similar move in the National Assembly would not be right.
Addressing the ruling by the Speaker, President Ramotar said that the government had agreed to a Commission of Inquiry into the July shooting deaths of three protestors from Linden. The Opposition, believing that the Minister had a hand in it, had gone ahead and passed a vote of no-confidence against Rohee.
Constitution is “supreme”
The President contended that the Opposition, through the Speaker, violated all the norms and Standing Orders of the National Assembly with the ruling to send the matter to the Committee of Privileges, effectively gagging Minister Rohee.
“(It is) totally wrong to take Minister Rohee to the Privileges Committee. You have to commit an offence… Rohee did not violate (anything).”
The President, was at pains to point out that it is the Constitution of Guyana that established Parliament and as such is “supreme”.
He described the ruling as one of callousness and total disrespect for the rule of law and procedures in the country.
The Head of State was also of the opinion that the Speaker displayed political leanings with his “political ruling”.
In defense of Rohee, Ramotar said that the Minister was not considered innocent in the entire affair and as such was not given an opportunity to defend himself, as is the norm.
Ramotar made it clear that he is not concentrating on snap elections but was prepared for one if the combined opposition should make a push for it.
Speaker, Raphael Trotman
As of now, Government is concentrating of preparing the 2013 National Budget and continuing the social and economic development of the country.
The budget preparation had been one critical issue that the opposition was determined to have a say on. Government has since started a series of meetings with the opposition on the 2013 budget.
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