Latest update November 26th, 2024 1:00 AM
Elections matters not enough to force National Assembly sitting–Harmon
The government does not know when the next sitting of the National Assembly will be since it does not have enough matters on its agenda for this purpose, said Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, yesterday.
At the time he was meeting with the press at the Ministry of the Presidency.
State Minister, Joseph Harmon
There, the media reminded Harmon of appeals from some quarters to hold a sitting of the House to extend the deadline for the hosting of General and Regional Elections as well as to address funding needed by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for the hosting of elections.
Harmon said that once there is Government’s business to be conducted in the National Assembly, it will be called. He added, “Once Government’s business has to be transacted, then it will meet…”
The Minister was challenged by the media to say if the business of general election is not significant enough for the House to meet. Harmon only acknowledged at that time that the issue of elections is an important matter.
Even though the Government has a few Bills, it is considering at this point, Harmon maintained that there isn’t “enough business” to take to the House at this time.
Yesterday afternoon, Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, was asked whether Government has ever called a sitting of the House for just two or three matters. Isaacs said he could answer in the affirmative.
The Clerk said, “There are times when you have several things on the Order Paper but a motion for example would take so long that the House ends up only dealing with that matter.”
He did note, however, that nothing in the Standing Orders stops the Government from calling a sitting on just two matters. (KIANA WILBURG)
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