The Speaker is out of order

Dec 17, 2021 Letters

Dear Editor,

Kaieteur News – Unfortunately, I must break my Christmas peace, since the barbaric occurred recently. It was from the august National Assembly, and from no less a figure than the Hon. Speaker himself. “Speaker bars debate on economic analysis of Gas-to-shore project…tells Patterson not obligated to give reasons” (KN December 15).
As context, Opposition Member of Parliament, David Patterson, who has the role of Shadow Oil and Gas Minister, had submitted a motion back in October, with the intention of having a debate on the possible environmental impacts of the Gas-to-Shore project. As shared by MP Patterson, the Speaker altered his motion, pursuant to Standing Order 27 (2)(b). Specifically, four clauses were removed from the Shadow Minister’s motion. On occasion, there may be solid grounds for such alterations and removals, in the good judgment and careful discretion of the Speaker of the National Assembly. In this instance, however, I think he erred enormously. For there is no issue currently, none that is as costly and controversial, as the billion-dollar Wales Gas-to-Shore project. Hence, it is not only timely, relevant, and of substance, but also one to which is of deep interest to most Guyanese. The Speaker of the House, and I give him credit for some fairness and integrity, showed a remarkable lack of judgment, and a profound denseness regarding what has near universal meaning to Guyanese. For they could be left with an obese elephant worth a trillion Guyana dollars and wondering about a proper zoo for it. But, if that were all, the Hon. Speaker might have been spared the rod, but there is more, and it is ugly.
Editor, it is of how he went about communicating such to Mr. Patterson. To quote from the letter of the Clerk of the Assembly writing on behalf to the Speaker, to Mr. Patterson, “he…may direct: -that the member concerned be informed that the notice of motion is out of order.” No issues so far, but what followed was not only outrageous, but also insulting. It was that “the Hon. Speaker is not obligated…to give reasons for altering questions or motions.” I don’t think I am hearing or reading right; certainly, I can’t be understanding what was written by the Clerk to the MP tabling the motion.
The Standing Order may give the Speaker the authority to amend and alter, but I would be surprised if it empowers the Hon. Speaker to conduct himself in a manner that is undemocratic and uncivilised; it was nothing short of degrading and, quite frankly, has too much of “Atilla, The Hun” about it, so profane it was. The Speaker is obligated to say why he did what he did; and if the Standing Order does afford him that leeway (not give reasons), then he ought to have the wisdom that the circumstances compelled him to do so. “Not obligated” doesn’t sound like part of democracy’s processes to me, of open, free, fair, and spirited debate. And I remind the Speaker that the forum over which he presides is a place of the cut and thrust and debate, through motions allowed intact, as reinforced by the underpinnings of wide social interest, concern, and alarm. To gut the motion, as he did, makes it innocuous, almost meaningless.
Further still, I remind the Speaker that MP Patterson is not some Lone Ranger, but someone acting on behalf of approximately 200,000 Guyanese voters. What makes the Speaker’s action even more appalling was the memory over what went on in that same pristine National Assembly when he was tongue-tied, with sealed lips, frozen limbs, and all but impotent, when the lunatics took over the asylum in March, which was the sorry state to which the National Assembly was reduced. It was not the Speaker’s shiniest hour then, as it is not today. I detect that “not obligated” to act sagaciously has become a crowning characteristic of his speakership. Given the significance of the secretive Gas-to-Shore project, what the Hon. Speaker did to MP Patterson’s motion was to add secrecy to secrecy and darkness to darkness. I wish he was more of a man with his own mind. Because if the Speaker being “not obligated” becomes the norm, then what we have is not a parliament, but a penitentiary, and instead of honest debate, the unilateral and dictatorial prevails.

Sincerely,
GHK Lall

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