President’s non-assent to Bills…Rohee advises APNU to go to Court

Sep 03, 2013 News

– says Opposition wants to bully the Head of State

By Abena Rockcliffe

Newly elected general secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Clement Rohee has advised the main opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) to take their grouse over the President’s non-assent to bills, to court.
APNU is determined to have its Bills come into effect, and is holding President Donald Ramotar responsible for his choice not to assent to the legislations that the party dubbed as enormously crucial.

PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee

Yesterday morning at a PPP press conference, held at Freedom House, Rohee said that his party is fully behind President Donald Ramotar’s decision as it relates to his decision not to assent to the Bills.
He added that the government is of the opinion that the “threats” from the Opposition are purely designed to bully the Head of State into passing “unconstitutional” Legislations.
Separate and aside from the four controversial Local Government Bills, which statues are unclear, APNU is also canvassing to have two other Bills, which they had proposed, assented to.
Those two Bills are the Former Presidents (Benefits and other Facilities) Bill 2012, and The Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment Bill) 2012.
The Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Bill 2012, seeks to restore the Constitutional status of the “independent entities”, under the Constitution.
These include the Guyana Elections Commission, the courts and the Office of the Ombudsman and other such agencies.
The Former President (Benefits and other Facilities) Bill of 2012 seeks to cap the various benefits granted to former Presidents and thus protect taxpayers’ money.
The main argument used by APNU Member of Parliament, Carl Greenidge, was that it is irrational for former Presidents to be granted unlimited resources when the state, itself, has limited resources.
Recently, APNU Leader, David Granger, disclosed his intention to convene with the Speaker of the National Assembly with the purpose of discussing the way forward with regards to the Opposition proposed Bills that have not been able to secure the President’s assent.
Yesterday, Rohee told media operatives that APNU’s motive for coming out to talk about the Bills is to distract its supporters from the fact that it didn’t support the Amaila Falls Project in the National Assembly.
The Home Affairs Minister said that the government continues to monitor the utterances of Granger and other top members of the APNU, “in their effort to distract from their actions in the National Assembly regarding their vote against critical pieces of legislation which would have significantly advanced the Amaila Falls Hydro project and which directly led to the withdrawal of Site Global from the most significant project in Guyana’s history.”
He said that the Government had efficiently addressed the concerns of APNU as it relates to the non-assent of the Bills.
He added that the aspects of where the Opposition Bills collided with the constitution and existing laws have been fully ventilated.
Further, Rohee stated that “Our constitution resides in the President, a latitudinal power of discretion as to whether he will assent or not. The President, after careful consideration, has decided that he will not assent, and he has complied with the procedure that the constitution outlines when he decides to withhold his assent.”

Opposition Leader, David Granger

Rohee said that with regard to Granger’s reference that the law is very clear on the issue and that he holds the Government in default, “…if APNU feels so convinced that its position is grounded in law, why has it not approached the High Court after making threats to do just that since May this year at one of their Press Conferences.
The General Secretary added that the “PPP is convinced that rather than grandstand and create all manner of political illusion to distract from their failings, APNU needs to man up and play a meaningful and responsible role in the development of our nation.”