By Staff Writer
Guyana’s Attorney General, Anil Nandlall has taken umbrage to the frequency with which Coalition parliamentarians vent frustrations on social media rather than raising their concerns in the National Assembly.
The AG noted that the House is the highest decision-making body in the land, and whenever the opportunity presents itself for the party to voice its opinions or seek clarity, the nation is faced many times with vacant opposition benches.
He said during the 52nd Sitting of the National Assembly on Monday last, the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) wasted the opportunity to effectively represent its constituents by adding its voice to critical bills, including one that sought to effect sweeping changes to the Representation of the People Act (ROPA). He said that this amendment bill, imposes, inter alia, life imprisonment and multimillion-dollar fines for those who attempt to illegally manipulate electoral processes.
Given the opposition’s claim of rampant voter irregularities during the March 2020 General and Regional Elections, the AG said that he expected a vocal and enthusiastic opposition. However, by 19:00hrs, he noted that more than half of the seats were vacant, and by midnight, the AG said no opposition member, with the exception of Deputy Speaker Lenox Shuman, was present.
“They can’t stay to do the people’s work. They refused to stay to do the people’s work. One by one, they walked out of the House,” Nandlall said during his most recent “Issues in the News” programme.
The AG was keen to note that Members of Parliament (MPs) are paid well to represent their constituents, therefore absenteeism is both dishonest and tantamount to an abdication of duties.
“These people are being paid handsomely by the taxpayers. They enjoy duty-free concessions of an unlimited nature. Some of them enjoy other facilities as well. Owww, man, the least you can do is to come there and do the people’s work. Some of them are unemployed – they work nowhere else. Yet, they don’t make the time to do the people’s work,” the AG lamented.
He added that the Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton opted not to speak during that sitting even though his name was listed as a presenter. “Is that the quality of representation that the people who voted for you deserve?” the AG queried.
While Nandlall contends that the House is the appropriate forum for such issues to be raised, the Opposition has repeatedly objected to the Speaker, Manzoor Nadir shutting down its questions and motions by deeming them not urgent. Early last month, Norton led a House walkout after Nadir disallowed his motion calling for a “clean” voters list. Norton had also noted that the walkout was prompted by the suspension of eight opposition MPs who staged a rowdy protest demonstration in the House last December during the passage of the Natural Resources Fund (Amendment) Bill.
The Opposition argues that the suspension has resulted in more than 40,000 of its supporters being without representation in the House. Nandlall accused the opposition of being duplicitous since opting for complete absence would mean no representation.
