Parliament has voted to set up a special committee to look at the steps that need to be taken to enable it to employ its own staff.

At midnight on Thursday, at the end of a marathon session, Members of the National Assembly voted in favour of the motion in the name of GAP-ROAR MP Everall Franklin, for a special select committee to be set up to examine the recommendation. The committee is to advise the Assembly on the steps to be undertaken by the government to enable the clerk to become the employing authority of the staff of the Parliament Office.

According to the motion, the Guyana Fiduciary Oversight Project Final Framework and Guidelines Report recommended that Parlia-ment employ its own staff and that the Speaker should appoint the Clerk after consultations with all the parties. The Sir Michael Davies Needs Assessment Report also included a similar recommendation.

Franklin’s motion noted that the government signalled its acceptance of the recommendations, which were made out of the recognition that there is need for the Parliament to be fully independent of the executive. Franklin explained that it is necessary to have the parliamentary staff separated from the service, where it might be under the influence of the executive and subject to government directives. He said the Parliament should have its own budget and be allowed to vet the people coming into the parliamentary staffing system. He added that if the executive continues to be responsible for employing staff, they can be put into a rather uncomfortable position.

Franklin also said it is necessary to attract adequate research staff to support the work of the parliamentary committees, which are responsible for monitoring the government ministries.

The motion was passed with the support of the government. The main opposition PNCR-1G and the AFC also supported the motion.

In his assessment, Sir Michael noted that the Clerk of the

National Assembly has no power to appoint, dismiss or promote the staff that works for the Assembly, rather it was the function of the Public Service Commission. He described his findings as astonishing and he warned that it could lead to a number of undesirable consequences.

He noted, too, that some staff, including several in important positions, have not had their appointments confirmed after several years in the post despite several letters from the Clerk asking for their appointments to be confirmed. He said that of 58 members of staff, about half of them were temporary.

Sir Michael noted that the staff provide essential advice to Members and he stressed the importance of creating a cadre of capable and impartial staff who have the confidence and experience to advise them. He opined that this could only be achieved by appointing those who are interested in parliamentary work and are likely to remain with the Parliament for some years. He added that it cannot be achieved by imposing staff from outside who are not interested in parliamentary work, as was the situation at the time of his evaluation. (Andre Haynes)