Key Parliamentary Oversight Committees in four-year coma

Jan 24, 2024 News

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– Jones flays Govt. for stymieing work

Kaieteur News – Opposition Chief Whip Christopher Jones on Monday expressed concerns about the government’s accountability and oversight while pointing to the dormancy of key Parliamentary Oversight Committees.

Jones said, “Parliamentary Committees play a crucial role in enabling the thorough examination of various aspects of government policy and administration.”

The Opposition Chief Whip was at the time addressing the National Assembly on the first day of Budget 2024 debates. The Member of Parliament (MP) reminded that the Committees provide a platform for MPs on both sides of the House to engage in discussions on matters of national importance through rigorous dialogue.

Jones said that it is disheartening and unacceptable that numerous parliamentary committees, including Sectoral Committees, remain comatose or are yet to be established even as they enter the fourth-year of the 12th parliament.

The MP noted that at the most critical juncture in Guyana’s history, when the oil and gas sector has been rapidly expanding, the country’s Natural Resources Committee did not meet in 2021 and 2022 under the Chairmanship of Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat.

“I am now happy to report to the House that in 2023, under the Chairmanship of the Hon. Member, former Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams, the Natural Resources Committee for the year 2023 have had six meetings,” Jones continued.

Amid the gravity of the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy, Jones highlighted that the Foreign Relations Committee is hardly functioning.

“Especially in light of the ongoing case in the International Court of Justice, the recent significant military build-up by Venezuela along the border, and Venezuela’s announcement in October and subsequent hosting of a referendum on December 3, 2023, with the alarming objective of annexing two-thirds of Guyana’s territory. It is deeply concerning that, in the year 2023, the Foreign Relations Committee, responsible for addressing such critical matters, convened only twice,” the Chief Whip stated.  That Committee is chaired by the Minister of Foreign Relations and International Relations Cooperation, Hugh Todd.

Jones also criticized the Constitutional Reform Committee, highlighting the failure to meet in 2023 despite the People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) 2020 manifesto commitment to continuous constitutional revision. He highlighted that the Constitutional Reform Committee chaired by the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandllal, for the year 2023 has never met.

Addressing the escalating crime situation in Guyana, Jones expressed dismay over the Security Sector Committee’s failure to meet in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

The Parliamentary Oversight Committee on the Security Sector has responsibility for examining the Disciplined Forces of Guyana. The Committee has the power to co-opt experts or enlist the aid of other persons of appropriate expertise, whether or not such experts or persons are Members of the National Assembly.

“The crime situation in Guyana is out of control now more than ever. Coupled with our local challenges is that of the influx of migrants which have now added its own challenges for law enforcement authorities,” Jones said.

He added that the crime situation in Guyana had prompted the United States Embassy here in Georgetown on the July 17, 2023, to publish a warning to U.S. citizens to reconsider travelling to Guyana because of high crime rates.

The Opposition Chief Whip said it is alarming that a committee of such importance does not convene at all. The Security Sector Committee is chaired by Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips.

Jones said while the Committee on Appointments met three times in 2023, there is a need for further meetings and submission of nominations for the Rights of the Child Commission to Parliament.  This Committee is chaired by Minister of Governance, Gail Teixeira.

Additionally, he said the Statutory Instrument Committee and Standing Orders Committee were never convened for the period 2020-2023.

Jones also voiced concerns over the declining frequency of parliamentary sittings, excluding the meetings for budget, highlighting the crucial role of Parliament in a functioning democracy.

Drawing attention to international standards, the Member of Parliament pointed to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s assertion that robust parliamentary engagement is pivotal for good governance.

Jones underscored the important role of parliaments as democratic institutions, while urging the House to consider its duty in promoting democracy and ensuring government accountability.

The Opposition Chief Whip juxtaposed these expectations with the current state of affairs in Guyana’s National Assembly.

Reflecting on 2021, Jones pointed out a significant lapse in parliamentary sessions, with only 10 meetings held throughout the year. He expressed dismay over a 97-day hiatus during which the Opposition submitted over 470 questions without response. The subsequent approval of supplementary papers totaling $49.9 billion raised concerns about financial transparency.

Jones noted that the situation worsened in 2022, with a mere eight parliamentary sittings despite a substantial budget increase to $552.9 billion. He questioned the rationale behind such infrequent sessions, especially when dealing with the nation’s finances.

For 2023, Jones criticized the government’s handling of democracy, highlighting a meagre eight parliamentary meetings amid a fiscal plan outlining expenditure of $781.9 billion.

He contrasted this with the APNU+AFC government’s track record, where parliamentary sessions were more frequent, even without the influx of “Oil Money.”

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• Christopher Jones, committees, opposition, Parliament, Security Sector Committee

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