Pandemonium in the Honourable House

Apr 06, 2014 Letters

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Dear Editor,
As a proud, patriotic Guyanese, I had hoped that the pandemonium in the Honourable House witnessed on Friday, April 4 was a thing of the distant past. I’ve seen men and women, whose aspirations to be leaders of this country in government, behave like common thugs from the ghetto.
It was indeed a sad day for my country. But if one can take some solace from the bullyism of the Joint Opposition led by PNC/APNU, it is simply this: The Guyanese people have been reminded that the old PNC is alive and kicking in the ominous alliance of the A Partnership of National Unity – APNU. God help Guyana if David Granger and his band of hooligans ever come close to winning a national election. I know some will take offence to my choice of words in describing some members of the opposition, but dressing up in decent clothes and looking like lawmakers does not change the person within… We are who we are.
As Ministers of Government deliver their Ministries’ budget, it became evident that not much could be found wanting in the 2014 National Budget that was designed to help the ordinary citizen. Finance Minister, Dr. Ashi Singh has once again displayed his brilliance in crafting a budget that puts Guyanese first. The opposition was left to find something, anything, that they can use to disrupt the proceedings. They found it in the innocuous, off-hand comment of the Hon. Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, as APNU Parliamentarian Volda Lawrence voiced her condemnation on men who escape justice after committing “statutory rape”. Minister Manickchand was at the time referring to well known controversial TV host, CN Sharma, who has cases pending in the High Court for the statutory rape of four underage school girls. The heckle was not even loud enough to be considered disruptive as it could hardly be heard in the recorded playback of the proceedings, and Speaker Trotman totally misconstrued to whom the Minister was referring, causing him to issue the gag order.
As the head of the Justice For All political party -JFA that is now part of the collation partners that make up the APNU, CN Sharma is the APNU member referred to in the now famous “Ask your APNU member” heckle made by Minister Manickchand.
Credit must be given to Speaker of the National Assembly, the Hon. Raphael Trotman for having the courage to reverse his earlier gag order, allowing the Minister to present the $32.3 Billion Education Budget to the Nation. But at last this was not to be, as members from both opposition parties rudely and violently banged the furniture making it impossible for the Minister to be heard through the PA system used.
The disruption was a well planned and executed strategy to prevent the Education Minister from presenting to the nation, the biggest and most comprehensive Education Budget in the our history as opposed to just walking out, which would have allowed the Minister’s televised remarked to be heard in their absence.
House Speaker, Rafael Trotman must not be taken for granted, for he has demonstrated time and again, his willingness to enforce the rules of his Chamber despite criticism from his colleagues in the opposition.
David Granger and Khemraj Ramjattan have openly defied the Speaker’s ruling on several occasions when he invited the Minister to speak. They have disrespected the Speaker and his authority by contributing to the chaos, and allowing their members to do the same. Come Monday, I fully expect the Joint Opposition to be asked to leave the Chamber if this defiant, lawless behavior continues.
Listening to several concessionary speeches earlier by Government Ministers, urging the opposition to come on board, and work together with government to develop Guyana, seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. Guyanese must now seriously consider the real obstructionist motives of the opposition, which is, I believe: To disrupt development at all cost under the PPP/C. The supporters of the Alliance for Change -AFC must be feeling a deep sense of remorse for having voted for “change”, that is, from bad to worst. And I empathize with the people of Whim who must feel betrayed by the lies, deception and empty promises made by prominent members of the AFC. This is the Party that promised to bring “change” and civility if elected. But now that they are in the opposition, I don’t suppose anyone can hold them responsible for not keeping that promise.
It is indeed sad that after all the PPP/C has accomplished to transform an economy that have improved the lives of so many of our citizens, there are still those who are willing to take us back to the PNC era of lawlessness and segregation.
Maybe it is truly time to consider the call for snap election and trust the wisdom of the electorate to restore the PPP/C majority in Parliament.
HARRY GILL   

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