Dear Editor,
While the PPP/C is continuing to argue for proportionality in the seats on the parliamentary committees, during the life of the last Region 6 RDC (2006-11) they were not practising what they are now preaching. On the last RDC the PPP/C had 22 seats, the PNCR 6 and AFC 2 – a total of 30 seats.
There were nine sub-committees, namely (1) Housing and Water – 12 members; (2) Health – 12 members; (3) National events – 12 members; (4) Local Government – 12 members; (5) Women’s Affairs and Rights of the child – 18 members; (6) Work – 14 members; (7) Agriculture and D&I – 18 members; (8) Youth, Sport and Culture – 10 members ; (9) Education and Training – 18 members. Although the PNCR and AFC had 8 seats and 37.5% of the vote, the combined opposition were given one member each on each committee where they should have been given 3 members on a 12 member committee, 4 on a 15 member committee, and 5 on a 17 to 18 member committee.
When this writer, who was a member of the Regional Democratic Council, asked why this was happening, all members of the RDC were told that it was the decision of someone from Georgetown. The Education Committee had no member of the opposition, and when asked about this, the reply was they do not want politicians on the committee. However, the PPP/C had three politicians on it – the former vice chair, the present chairman who chaired this committee and another. Again when asked about it the response was that it was a decision from Georgetown.
Now that the shoe is on the other foot, the PPP/C which did not see it as necessary at that time to make it good, is now crying foul. What hypocrisy. The PPP/C and government operated in their own narrow interest whereby they did not provide the opposition with the right number of representatives on each committee. I do hope that the PPP/C government puts it right this time.
Yours faithfully,
W Hope
