Rohee’s absurd comments must be taken for what they are – absurdities. The Deputy Speakership only went to the Opposition because the Government never nominated any candidate on its behalf. The configuration of the various committees reflects the proportionality of the Opposition against the Government in the National Assembly. This was in consonance with the Constitution and the Standing Orders. And it must be remembered too that though the Attorney General tried to argue algebra before the Chief Justice, luckily the Court got the arithmetic right in that case in which the A.G. contended that the Opposition’s reconfiguring of the Committees was unconstitutional.
But the wholly ludicrous contention of Rohee is that the Opposition is not ceding anything to the minority Government. He should be reminded that the majority Opposition has taken nothing from the minority Government.
The Government still retains its Executive power, meaning all prerogative powers. It still retains its dominance of the Parliamentary agenda. Government’s business under the Standing Orders still takes precedence at every sitting excepting Private Members’ day which are few and far between. Control of spending and financial allocations are still matters remaining wholly in Government excepting when the majority Opposition exercises its constitutional power to not approve those line items it sees fit. And of course Government still controls the political and legislative agenda.
Moreover, the majority Opposition has never asked for anything which is outside its jurisdiction or legal realm. If anything at all the Opposition has asked for what the Constitution, our supreme law, has prescribed. The Public Procurement Commission is an example. Local Government Elections is another. It is the minority PPP Government which is not ceding to Guyanese that which belongs to them by an exhibition of unwarranted denial or utter deprivation. They are the ones who are violators of the Constitution.
Rohee and his ilk in the PPP fail to appreciate that a Government minority does not necessarily mean an Opposition majority. This is too complicated for him to understand. It is simply that they are so consumed with their control-freakism, their retrograde authoritarianism, which propels them to that unjust, unreasonable conclusion.
They do not want to respect the voters’ voices and choices of 2011. Rather than conduct Government’s business with an eye towards a greater happiness for all Guyanese, they conduct business purely with an eye to the next election where they hope to regain that lost majority. Well they are in for a surprise. If they don’t lose the plurality, their minority status will be worse than now. So they better start attuning themselves to a framework of multi-party governance from now.
There are benefits to be had under this dispensation, including more accountability, more inclusiveness, more reforms, more policy deals and concessions in the national interest. If only the Rohees and Ramotars in the PPP can be more visionary and statesmanlike, rather than griping and groaning as they have been. But then again coming from the belly of the beast, I think I can authoritatively pronounce that they were never liberal democrats. They are all illiberal autocrats.
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