The Government of Guyana’s ‘exclusion’ of the main Parliamentary Opposition, the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) from the 2021 budget consultations, flies in the face of the administration’s mantra of ‘oneness’. Making this assertion today, was Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Ganesh Mahipaul.
The MP went on to state that by not including the APNU+AFC in the consultative process, the government breached the Constitution.
“Another disaster has once again struck us in Guyana, and it is Budget 2021. Disaster is the word to describe Budget 2021, because like Budget 2020, there has been a breach of our Constitutional provisions; referencing Article 13 which speaks of consultation. There was consultation with subsets of the PPP but not with the political movement that represents hundreds of thousands of electors (APNU+AFC). You speak about oneness, but your actions do not match your words,” he said.
Article 13 states that no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of participating through co-operatives, trade unions, civic or socio-economic organisations of a national character, in the management and decision-making processes of the State. It is still unclear whether the APNU+AFC was invited to consultations. The government, however, met with other political parties, private sector entities, and representatives of local democratic organs.
It was President, Irfaan Ali, on February 11, who disclosed during his inaugural address to the National Assembly, that the nation can look forward to the launch of a “One Guyana Commission,” a body aimed at fostering unity among the citizenry.
