Latest update April 4th, 2025 6:13 AM
Norton says ready to fulfill responsibilities
– seeks more parliamentary sittings, appointment of constitutional office holders
Kaieteur News – New Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton said he is ready to fulfill his responsibilities and has outlined pushing for a more effective National Assembly and the appointment of constitutional office holders as some of his priorities.
New Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton
Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, Norton said he “stands ready to fulfill his responsibilities where the Guyana constitution dictates that the government must seek the agreement of or have meaningful consultations with the Leader of the Opposition.”
Noting that the National Assembly has not delivered on the expectations of the 1999/2000 Constitution reform process, Norton said as shown by the recent passage of the PPP/C Motion to change the quorum for the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the work of parliament has regressed. “It remains ineffective in the scrutiny and investigation of government decisions and actions. It continues to fail to hold the government accountable,” Norton said. He told the news conference that to rescue the situation, there will be five main priorities.
Firstly, increase the effectiveness of Parliament as a forum for representing the people and for their direct participation in national decision-making. Here, Norton said the Opposition will push for (i) more sittings of the House, (ii) public hearings on Bills, appointments, etc., (iii) encouraging motions from civil society and the wider society, (iv) increased use of Private Members’ Day, (v) funding of constituency offices for MPs, (vi) the establishment of research facilities for MPs.
Additionally, Norton said he intends to hold the government accountable by energising and refocusing the oversight and investigative powers of the four Parliamentary Sectoral Committees, especially those for economic affairs and the social sector. He also promised to resist all attempts by the Speaker of the House, Manzoor Nadir to undermine and restrict the Opposition to present its views and positions freely through open debate, tabling of motions, and questioning of Ministers. Norton also intends to press for the National Communications Network and other state media to provide fair and equitable coverage of Opposition MPs. He also intends to increase the number of meetings and engagements of Opposition MPs with all segments of Guyana society, noting that while these cannot be achieved by the stroke of a pen, the intention is to begin the process to achieve these objectives.
The Opposition Leader said as a member of the National Assembly, he is obligated along with all other opposition MPs to represent the demands, rights and concerns of both those who voted for the opposition APNU+AFC as well as all Guyanese citizens. In this regard, he said meetings with the President, should they occur, must extend beyond the appointment of commissioners and judges. “Meetings must also discuss Opposition concerns about good governance and the abuse of political power, including the discrimination against opposition-led local councils, the uneven and incomplete distribution of flood and other relief, the unsatisfactory oversight of the nation’s patrimony in the NRF, and the abuses of human and legal rights by some rogue police ranks.”
Norton said as a Leader of a party and as a coalition of parties, “we will present to the nation, a superior alternative than the current regime in managing the affairs of the country. In this regard, we will work to ensure that the Opposition not only opposes but proposes solutions and a vision for every aspect of national life in Guyana.”
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