Corbin wants Parliament session on Lusignan slaughter

Leader of the Opposition and PNCR Leader Robert Corbin is calling for an urgent sitting of the National Assembly to discuss a motion he submitted to Parliament Office yesterday condemning the horrific killing of 11 people at Lusignan.

In a letter dated February 2, 2008 to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran, Corbin noted parliament was adjourned on January 3, 2008 on a motion by the Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee to a date to be fixed.

Since there has been no sitting since that date, Corbin said that the public interest demands that the highest deliberative and decision-making forum in the land meet to discuss the situation and to adopt the motion he has put forward for approval. The motion to be tabled by Corbin is calling on the National Assembly to extend deepest and sincerest sympathy to the families of the 11 in Lusignan and the corporal of the Guyana Defence Force who was killed while on patrol. The motion is also urging the National Assembly to call on the government to implement a definite plan of action to arrest the downward spiral of the country’s security.

Corbin pointed out to the Speaker that “Standing Order 8(2) vests in you the authority to cause the Assembly to meet where, in your opinion, the public interest requires such a meeting earlier than on the adjourned date.”

He said that in the present circumstance, “We believe the exercise of your discretion under Standing Order 8(2) to bring about a meeting would be most appropriate.”