Crowds witness opening of opposition-less Parliament

Jun 11, 2015 News

…while PPP/C mounts protest at GECOM

By Jarryl Bryan
Yesterday saw the opening of Guyana’s 11th Parliament, but the scenes of excited crowds waiting in anticipation to catch a sight of their elected Government representatives was something many Guyanese

The soldiers marching past proved to be exceedingly popular with the crowd

would remember.
At the same time, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), not only boycotted the Opening of Parliament but also mounted a protest outside of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
Yesterday’s opening also represented the first sitting in 11 months. The House had met for the last time following former President Donald Ramotar’s prorogation of the 10th Parliament on November 10, 2014. In the face of a no- confidence motion tabled by the then combined opposition of A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), Ramotar opted to dissolve the House.
It was an awe inspiring moment when each of the 36 APNU+AFC Members of Parliament arrived to the roar of their supporters, who witnessed the proceedings from behind several barriers.
During the march past of the army, the crowd went wild as some recognized relatives among the ranks. In a new and innovative move, big television screens were set up outside Parliament Building to facilitate a live broadcast of the entire proceedings.
In addition, Parliament Square was opened to civil society for the first time to facilitate a comfortable view of the big screens.
While those who used the Square enjoyed the shade the crowd behind the barricades was undaunted by the sun that greeted a new chapter in Guyana’s parliamentary history.
The final count has not found favor with the PPP/C opposition, which has made repeated calls for Chairman of Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Dr. Steve Surujbally to resign over alleged irregularities and vote rigging. The party has also picketed the GECOM Head Office on High Street over the past few weeks.
In previous protests, the entire PPP/C hierarchy minus former President Bharrat Jagdeo turned out with placards calling for Surujbally’s resignation and a full recount of the votes. Yesterday’s protest, however, was different as the only executive committee member of the PPP/C on the picket line was General Secretary Clement Rohee, who declared that the party would go to Parliament “when they felt like”.
In the Parliament 36 APNU+AFC Parliamentarians were sworn in. Three do not have the power to vote in Parliament; they are considered technocrats. Those three are Sydney Allicock, Vice President and Minister of Indigenous Peoples Affairs, Keith Scott, Junior Minister of Communities and Winston Felix, Minister of Citizenship.
The President is granted the right to appoint as much as four technocrats as Governmental representatives.