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PPP/C MPs to attend Parliament tomorrow
…Yet to determine how to treat President’s address
The spruced up Parliament Chambers all set for tomorrow’s sitting.
Despite promising to be non-cooperative with the Government, the main opposition, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) will attend tomorrow’s sitting of the National Assembly, which will include an address by President David Granger on Government’s legislative plans.
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo told Kaieteur News that the PPP/C will attend the Parliament sitting to debate their motion on the 2017 Georgetown prison and fire which resulted in the escape of eight prisoners and the death of a prison officer.
“We have a motion on the prison and so we will be there to debate it,” Jagdeo stated.
The motion is expected to be moved by PPP/C Member of Parliament (MP) Juan Edghill, and is an attempt to have Government disclose information relating to the incident.
The Opposition Leader was asked about his party’s expected response to the President’s address. He stated that they are yet to determine a course of action in this regard. It is believed that if the PPP/C attends the sitting, its members are likely to walk out during the President’s address as an attempt to send a strong message of disapproval over the appointment of Justice James Patterson as Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission and other national issues.
Opposition MPs are expected to return to the chambers once the President concludes his address, but in time for other Parliamentary matters.
Yesterday, staffers of the Parliament Office were busy coordinating and executing improvements. MPs will be greeted tomorrow with a revamped Chamber, a newly designed dining area and a general facelift to the building’s exterior.
According to Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, during the last recess they repaired and repainted the Parliamentary Chamber, committee rooms, and other areas of the building. Works also included the refurbishment of most of the furniture, including the Speaker’s Chair.
Jagdeo and the PPP/C have somewhat softened their approach to the GECOM Chairman appointment after he (Jagdeo) met with party and regional leadership.
The Opposition Leader stated that the party will cooperate wherever members have to perform a statutory function by virtue of being elected or if required to do so by the Constitution. Members will participate in all activities where they can expose wrongdoing and corruption. He said they will go to the Parliament in the open sessions, but might not go to all the sessions.
According to Jagdeo, the PPP/C commissioners will be in GECOM because the party fears that the government will make decisions that in the PPP/C’s absence would lead to rigging of elections. He said that the party will organise protest action to greet Government officials when they visit the regions. The party plans to participate in bodies where members can advocate for benefits, and can defend the interests of Guyanese.
After initially vowing to walk away from the Border Commission on the longstanding dispute with Venezuela, Jagdeo later clarified that the party will have some level of participation.
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