Longstanding female MPs honoured

Mar 08, 2013 News

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–    APNU “boycotts” event
By Abena Rockcliffe
To commemorate International Women’s Day, the National Assembly yesterday hosted a programme that sought to honour women. The event’s main objective was to zero in on works of longstanding female parliamentarians and one parliament staffer.
The event marked the second of its kind; the first being last year when A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Amna Ally was honoured as the longest serving female Member of Parliament while Jaitun Haniff was acknowledged longest standing female member of staff.

The ceremony, held at Tower Hotel was planned with the intention of honouring government Members of Parliament Gail Teixeira, former Deputy Speaker Clarissa Riehl, Indranie Chandarpal, who is also a government MP, and Parliament staffer, Olga Aaron.
However, though an initial programme received by this newspaper indicated that tokens were to be handed to the honourees, this did not happen. Instead, it was announced that a decision was made for that aspect to be done at a later date; supposedly at the next parliamentary sitting.
This was, from all indications, because of the absence of any APNU representative
Word circulating yesterday was that APNU’s move to – as described by government officials -”boycott the event”, stemmed from the party being upset with House Speaker Raphael Trotman, whose initiative it was to carry out yesterday’s proceedings.
Kaieteur News understands that APNU is still peeved about the way the Speaker made his final ruling on the much publicised “Rohee gag order.”
Parliamentarian Dr. Vindhya Persaud commented yesterday that she was gravely disappointed over the “fact” that one of the major political parties (APNU) couldn’t have seen it fit to set aside “whatever differences, and support an event like this.”
Persaud noted that women are some of the top decision-makers in Guyana and a day where they are being honoured by the National Assembly is one worth being acknowledged by politicians.
“Women are changing the world and play an important role in this country,” she emphasised.
Another female government MP, Bibi Shadick, commented that APNU’s “boycott” was a slap in the face of all Guyanese women.  According to Shadick, she had heard that the party chose to stay away to protest the Speaker, “but this is not a political forum, this is all about great women.”
Trotman, when approached for a comment, made it clear that no APNU representative had signaled any intention not to attend the forum. He noted, however, that he too heard through the grapevine that the party intended not to attend; but no formal correspondence was presented to him.
He advised that last year when APNU MP Amna Ally was honoured she received “full support” from all parties.
Long-serving member and former deputy speaker Clarissa Riehl said she would not comment much on the matter, but she did express the opinion that” rivalries could have been set aside”.
Ally, APNU’s chief whip, said that she could not have given an account as to “why the others didn’t attend. I know I just couldn’t have made it, I can’t speak for the others, but I am not aware of any boycott.”
When Member of Parliament and Attorney at Law James Bond was contacted and asked about his absence, he responded that, “I don’t see that as being news.”
Bond was slated to be the Moderator of the programme and was also scheduled to present tokens to one of the honourees.
When asked if he stayed away without informing organizers, and asked to confirm whether or not his party boycotted the programme, the attorney, who once contested for the post of party leader, said “the government knows better than I would, and whether or not I attended, I don’t see it as being news, especially in my capacity as moderator.”
Government representatives who were scheduled to speak were also absent, but this publication was made to understand that excuses were given. Also, even though the Alliance For Change had representatives in attendance, persons from that party slated to give remarks did not show up.
Nevertheless, the programme went on. Speaker Trotman, in brief remarks, cited this year’s theme “The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum.” He said that women all over the world are gaining momentum.
He then sought to point out Guyanese women who have done so throughout the country’s history, such as Viola Burnham, Janet Jagan, Cheryl Sampson, Jane Phillips-Gay, Amna Ally, Gail Teixeira and Indranie Chandarpal
Trotman used the opportunity to suggest that “we move away from the notion that it’s either you’re with us or against us”. He said that it is time all stand for “the people.”
Also, he noted that he saw the video of the miners being beaten by the police, but singled that it was barbaric to the extreme to beat a woman and her child
The keynote speaker, University of Guyana lecturer Cecilia McAlmont, provided a narrative of the journey of women in Guyana from the days when they were treated as a minority to where they “have arrived as equals”.
Teixeira, said that she is pleased to look at the position where women now stand in Guyana, but believes that more is possible.
“You know we women always want more, so we must strive for that.”
She said that she hopes that this generation of women continues along the path that she walked.
Asked to comment about the challenges for a woman in parliament, she said that she has “learnt to take the good with the ugly” and would recommend that to any interested woman.
“Even if you’re shaking in your shoes, go out and bat.”
Teixeira reflected that she was in politics since she was 19, “…it has been 41 years.”
“I recommend that career women have confidence, self-esteem and be prepared. We’ve got to be prepared. Men won’t say give her a break, she is a woman.”

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