‘Civil society’ Speaker would ensure impartiality - APNU/AFC

‘Civil society’ Speaker would ensure impartiality – APNU/AFC

Feb 28, 2015 News

Choosing a Speaker of the National Assembly who is neutral and impartial from civil society is one of the

Speaker of the 10th Parliament, Raphael Trotman

imperative objectives that the coalition A Partnership for National Unity–Alliance For Change (APNU-AFC) is pursuing should the united team win the May 11 elections.
This is according to the Speaker of the Tenth Parliament, and co-chairman of APNU-AFC campaign committee, Raphael Trotman. He was speaking at the party’s first joint press conference at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, Hadfield Street Georgetown.
Trotman was asked by media operatives why the AFC, during the signing of the “Cummingsburg Accord”, agreed that members of civil society should decide the next Speaker of the National Assembly.
Trotman responded that such an agreement reaffirmed his party’s position that a Speaker should be “impartial” when presiding over the National Assembly. He added that it should be a neutral person from civil society in order to eliminate party biases.
“The Speaker must at all times try to be impartial. That is what I sought to do as Speaker. I know that it caused great concern among my colleagues in the AFC and I am sure as it did too at with the APNU,” said Trotman. He explained that the reasoning behind involving civil society in deciding the next Speaker comes at time when Guyana is “divided and fractured”.
To remedy this division, Trotman said that the next Speaker must be a “Speaker for all”, without individual

APNU Member of Parliament, Carl Greenidge

partisan positions entering his or her decision making. He further stated that no party should expect or demand that the decision be made in its favour.
Such demands would breach protocol since the rules of operation at Parliament dictate neutrality from the Speaker of the National Assembly, Trotman said.
The move to involve civil society in the appointment of the Speaker comes at a time when other Caribbean countries share the sentiment that the Speaker of the National Assembly should be independent of any political party.
APNU Shadow Finance Minister, Carl Greenidge, in an invited comment reiterated the importance for the Speaker to be neutral in their decision making.
The Speaker can be someone from civil society but must also be a Member of Parliament in order to accede to the position. He further said that the Speaker must have the necessary judicial or legal background in order to be eligible for the position.
“They (the prospective Speakers) must have a reputation of impartiality. They can even be someone from corporate society but must have the necessary legal background.”
Greenidge said that Guyana’s history has generally seen Speakers who adhere to the rules of neutrality as avenues exist in the Parliamentary position, like that of the Parliamentary Clerk, which ensure impartial decision making.