A New and United Guyana (ANUG) on Saturday issued a stern condemnation of Dr. Asha Kissoon, Leader of The New Movement (TNM) and current Deputy Speaker, for her failure to relinquish her parliamentary seat. ANUG said this move violates the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) established in March 2020.
The MoU, signed by ANUG, The Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), and TNM, outlined a rotational arrangement for parliamentary representation, with the seat allocated based on the proportion of votes garnered by each party. “The result of the election was that LJP and ANUG, each with more than 2200 votes, would occupy the single seat won by the merger for the majority of the time, while TNM, with 244 votes, was entitled to occupy the seat for 91 days,” the party noted in its statement.
However, despite clear provisions stipulating her tenure, Dr. Kissoon has exceeded her allotted time, prompting ANUG to demand immediate action as one of its representatives is set to occupy her seat next.
It was further noted that through the arrangement, former Deputy Speaker, Lennox Shuman, representing The Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), served for two and a half years before resigning as mandated. Given that Kissoon’s party received the least number of votes she was only entitled to serve for 91 days which she has long surpassed.
“Because the Constitution of Guyana provides for the removal of a Member of Parliament only by his resignation or by his removal by the Representative of his party’s List, it was clearly understood that the Memorandum of Understanding was based on trust and integrity, since it would not be enforced in Court. The three parties would have to trust each other,” ANUG said, expressing disappointment in Kissoon’s refusal to vacate her seat.
The Deputy Speaker has now held her parliamentary seat for more than twice her permitted allocation under the arrangement of MoU. Furthermore, the party said Dr. Kissoon has not committed in writing to any timeline to demit office, and her single verbal and informal promise to vacate office on 29 February 2024, three months late, has apparently also been breached. In light of these circumstances, ANUG is urging Dr. Asha Kissoon to “do the right thing.”
The party said it remains committed to integrity and transparency in governance, and emphasized the importance of upholding agreements to maintain a healthy political environment.
