Speaker rapped for ‘increasingly partisan behaviour’

Jan 12, 2022 News

– civil society group urges him to mend ways or be replaced

Kaieteur News – Economist and civil society member, Ramon Gaskin is urging that the Speaker of the National Assembly mend his ways and be more democratic in his stewardship of the House.

Economist, Ramon Gaskin

In a recent interview with this newspaper Gaskin joined with the Parliamentary Opposition in criticising the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mazoor Nadir, for his behaviour. According to Gaskin, “It is true that the Speaker is not behaving in an impartial, neutral manner. As a Speaker, once you are appointed to serve, you are no longer a party man. If you look at the Speaker in the House of the Canadian Parliament, you don’t even know which party he belongs to (because) you are now the Speaker of the House and that is your business”.
In citing examples where he believe Nadir did not act in an impartial way, Gaskin said he was annoyed when the speaker did not allow the request by the Opposition to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s response. Nadir said that he did not find it to be a matter of urgency.
In offering yet another example, the economist noted that enough time was not granted for the proper consideration of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Act, given that the Bill was tabled a mere 13 days before it came up for debates on December 29, 2021. In this regard, he suggested, “He is too much of a PPP man still. I am hoping he would improve as he goes along because he has been contributing to the ruckus in Parliament too. The Government is not granting enough time for discussion on these important Bills that come before the House and I think he refused the idea for the thing to go to the Special Select Committee and as a result you are going to get a lot of this ruckus and improper behavior in Parliament, if the Speaker does not correct himself”.
As a consequence he urged that Mr. Nadir “mend his ways or be replaced”.
Moving forward, the civil society member pointed out that the Speaker should show more flexibility in his work and be more accommodating to the Opposition, especially since they represent a large proportion of the country. He added that this call should be supported by all bodies. Mr. Nadir formerly served as a Minister of Labour for the PPP government during the period 2001 to 2011.
In a statement following the chaos that broke out in Parliament during the rushed passage of the NRF Bill, Article 13 also denounced what it described as the “increasingly partisan” Speaker, whose behaviour they said is now a matter of national concern. While the organisation said the conduct of the Opposition Members of Parliament (MP) was equally unacceptable, they noted that the reactions that unfolded were due to the “understandable” disfavour to the NRF Act.
According to Article 13 “We would be equally remiss if we did not denounce the unacceptable, unparliamentary conduct of the opposition in the National Assembly over their understandable disfavour of the content of the Natural Resource Fund Act, the autocratic manner in which the Government forced its passage, facilitated by an increasingly partisan Speaker whose suitability for that post must now be a matter of national concern”.
“Those issues notwithstanding, all Members of that important arm of the State must respect its sanctity while employing all available official and legal channels to make their case. Their legitimacy, conduct and appeal are not independent variables,” the body added. The Natural Resource Fund Act was passed in the National Assembly days before the year ended, even though calls were made by the Opposition for the Bill to be sent to a Special Select Committee for a review of its contents.
Kaieteur news understands that other petitions were made in the similar interest but were ignored by the Speaker.

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