The prolonged Parliamentary circus

Jan 04, 2018 Letters

Dear Sir,
From Face book post-ups of unparliamentary language from both sides of the House, with most notable coming from a Junior Minister also a supposedly Honorable Member- “Boomout” to heckling and banging on desks; waving of placards, with incorrect spellings when His Excellency, President David Granger was addressing the House in the presence of special invitees from the Diplomatic Corps.
How unfortunate! But this is Guyana, 51 years after Independence and there has been an inculcated into our own Guyanese culture, mudslinging, uncouth behaviour and a lack of moral decency. Our society promotes the values of vulgarity, rowdy behaviour and mutual disrespect for the Speaker, in the “Highest Decision Making Forum” of Guyana. That is how it seems.
Sir, with a questionable degree of impartiality and inconsistency on the Speaker’s behalf, is he really in charge of the proceedings? Of course, all the negative attributes that are displayed in Parliament, would point to the Opposition- PPP/C, while the ruling APNU+AFC, are the “Angels among the Demons”. How sad!
The ill-fated and worst of all entries into Parliament, on 08/12/2017 by an individual outfitted in a Santa Claus costume ringing a bell, armed with a gift for Opposition leader, former President, Bharrat Jagdeo. The following day’s publication of both the Daily Chronicle and Kaieteur News, front page headlines described: “Gift from Santa, to Jagdeo; a dictionary, teaching him how to spell”.
How catastrophic that this serious breach of security, failed to set: “Alarm Bells ringing and definitely not, Santa’s disturbing bell”. Was the bell resurrected from the Archives of the W.P.A? What a shame, what a travesty! That a serious breach of Parliamentary security occurred during a Sitting with the Opposition Leader, making his presentation. What would have happened, if the dictionary in hard cover was a concealed mechanism for an explosive device, with dire consequences for both sides of the House, Speaker inclusive?
How did Santa arrive, on a sleigh with reindeer, given the extensive and extended line of barricades, along with a large police presence? Where was the parking lot, which facilitated the arrival and departure that the police ranks were unable to locate? But with worst of it all a former President, in the “hallowed chambers of Parliament” was denied proper security. Would this breach of security result, in a “Commission of Inquiry” with the relevant recommendations: Transfer(s) and Disciplinary action?
What took place on 11/12/2017 in the hallowed chambers, resulted in a “mini assault” on democratic values. MP, Juan Edghill’s refusal to obey the speaker’s order to sit, as the time for scrutiny had expired on a specific issue, was right in accordance to “The powers vested in the Speaker “!
But on a point of order, how can the speaker, after allowing two hours for scrutiny on a specific number of Agencies last year, allocate the same period of time for four additional Agencies this year? Isn’t this preposterous?
Then we come to: “Feral blasting, Satyrah Gal” shouts of rape! Is it that she meant grapes, since it was a bunch of them – Police contingent? On a serious note the total breakdown of: “Law and Order” was quite evident, with male Police ranks entering the Chambers. Since a picture says a 1,000 words, what was the Commander, A Division, doing there? And from his own training, why weren’t female ranks not present?
Is the Commander, “fit and proper” to be an Assistant Commissioner, given the fact that himself and ranks had contravened the parliamentary Standing Orders, with their presence under the given circumstances?
Acknowledging Edghill was out of order, then it should have been left to the Opposition, Chief Whip to make representation on her colleague’s behalf. Additionally, she should have ordered Edghill to sit given her 25 years of Parliamentary experience!
Was the Minister, Public Security present in Parliament on the ill-fated Monday, when male police ranks disregarded the female element of MPs? Then the blackout scenario and the lack of Wi-Fi. Where were the respective Ministers of Public Infrastructure and Telecommunications, under whose portfolio the entities fall? Who ordered the unlawful intrusions and interruptions, the PNC or the AFC; or a combination of both?
Yours Truly,
Samora N’Komo

Editor’s note: The letter contains numerous misrepresentations. It would do the writer well to read the Standing Orders.

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