Latest update November 16th, 2024 1:00 AM
Latest News
- AFC’s leader, Hughes promises to prioritize country’s interest above Exxon’s as law firm remains on company’s payroll
- Norton not opposed to referendum on renegotiation of oil contract
- Israel ramps up attacks on Lebanon as officials study US ceasefire plan
- Broken sluice door causes flooding in five WCB communities
- Miner dies after pit caves in at Issano Backdam
$44.7B surplus budget, a slush fund for continued PPP corruption – Norton
Kaieteur News – Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton is confident that the $44.7 billion approved in the National Assembly on Monday will aid in the continued corrupt practices of the incumbent People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government.
In an Opposition press conference on Tuesday, he justified the decision by his side of the House to abstain from the Sitting, noting among his reasons that it was important to send a clear message to the administration that it will not accept the “illegal” suspension of its eight Members of Parliament (MPs).
Norton explained, “What we saw was the presentation of a request for finances, to continue to have a slush fund for the PPP’s corruption, handout and bribery of voters, and so we thought that we couldn’t be in that environment.”
The Leader of the Opposition told the press that before publicly announcing the boycott of the day’s proceedings, at the Rally held on August 2 last, the joint Opposition convened a meeting where it was decided that there was no point of attending the Sitting and that they would get the information they need outside the confines of Parliament Building.
Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton
He argued, “We believe it would have been an act to legitimise the illegal suspension of members of the Opposition if we had attended, because one, we have challenged the matter in Court and every child knows that if people didn’t get a hearing then there’s a violation of the rules of natural justice and so there was no way we were going to go. We had to be in solidarity with the Members of Parliament of the APNU+AFC who they have arbitrarily gotten rid of.”
The A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance For Change APNU+AFC MPs: Sherod Duncan, Christopher Jones, Ganesh Mahipaul and Natasha Singh-Lewis will be required to be absent from four consecutive sittings, while Annette Ferguson, Maureen A. Philadelphia, Tabitha Halley and Vinceroy Jordan would be suspended for six consecutive sittings. It was revealed that the MPs will lose pay and will not be allowed within the precincts of the Parliament Building or Chamber, use of the library or participation in committee meetings, over the ruckus caused in the House back in December, during an attempt to steal the Mace.
Besides the “arbitrary” suspension of its MPs, Norton also believes that the surplus budget presented and approved to the tune of $44.7 billion did not include any provision to ease the cost of living crisis prevailing in the country. He pointed out that just before Monday’s Sitting, the Speaker threw out a Motion to discuss the current inflationary pressures.
He was keen to point out too that the PPP also refused a request by the Opposition to deliberate on the now passed Hemp Bill in the Select Committee, to allow all stakeholders to be involved on crafting the legislation.
The Opposition Leader informed, “At that Parliamentary session, the PPP made it clear that they are not encouraging any discussion on the Hemp Bill and that they were going ahead and since they had a majority, minus eight, it made no sense to go. We felt we put the information in the public domain and as a form of protest, stayed away from Parliament.”
In fact, he pointed out, “The present Speaker is on record at some stage in his Parliamentary life, I think it was while he was a Minister (saying)…the Opposition will have their say and we will have the way. What that means is that they have no interest in Parliamentary democracy and therefore we cannot operate as if it is business as usual.”
To this end, Norton said the Opposition will “selectively take action” to ensure it is made clear to the PPP that the Parliament is a charade, and that the body does not perform the functions it should. Measures will also be taken to alert the public of this, he said, noting that one such way is by boycotting Sittings of the National Assembly. The Opposition Leader was keen to note, however, that not all Sittings will be boycotted, as the political group is devising “tactical decisions” to prove to the world that the country simply does not have a democratic Parliament.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Where is the talent in the PPP?
…Peeping Tom Kaieteur News- The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and its exuberant General Secretary, Bharrat... more
Rising Gun Crimes in the Caribbean: Urgent Action required by all
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News – There is an alarming surge in gun-related violence, particularly among younger... more
Weekend Cartoon
