After weeks of deadlock, a Speaker for the new Parliament is likely to be decided this week as the AFC has welcomed the proposal by APNU that the position be rotated among the two parties.
AFC presidential candidate, Khemraj Ramjattan expressed optimism yesterday that the issue will finally be decided when the two opposition parties who have a combined majority in the new Parliament meet early this week. He told Stabroek News yesterday that he welcomed the rotation proposal and sees it as an endorsement of the AFC’s candidate, Moses Nagamootoo. Ramjattan also dismissed opinions expressed by the ruling PPP/C that the rotation proposal is “unrealistic.”
Last week, APNU floated the proposal that the two opposition parties- who together hold 33 of the 65 seats in the National Assembly- rotate the position of Speaker. Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine of APNU said that the party would be willing to work with anyone that the AFC is proposing for the post of Speaker in a rotational arrangement, even if that person is Nagamootoo.
This is in spite of the Leader of APNU David Granger making statements critical of Nagamootoo’s suitability for the post. With regards to which party will hold the speakership first, APNU has opted to go first, much to the chagrin of the AFC.
“The Alliance For Change welcomes the rotation principle but we do not find favour with rotation with flotation,” Ramjattan told Stabroek News yesterday while referring to APNU’s position that its candidate will hold the position of Speaker first. “By floating this idea that (the AFC) will only serve the second half of the term is rigid and dogmatist,” he said. “We don’t like that at all.”
According to Ramjattan, now that APNU has, in effect, accepted that Nagamootoo is suitable, “if he is good enough to serve…then why not the first half?” The AFC leader stressed that he personally does not have any problem with the rotation proposal and has even advocated for it and he and the party welcome it. “We are willing to proceed with negotiations that the AFC serves the first half,” he said.
He added that they would likely meet with APNU early this week and he is certain that they can reach agreement then.
Ramjattan indicated that they would be pushing hard for their candidate to hold the position of Speaker first. “If Moses is good enough for the second half, then he is good enough for the first half,” the AFC leader said.
The AFC and APNU have been deadlocked for several weeks with regards to who will be the Speaker. The Speaker is elected by a simple majority in Parliament.
APNU has said that should it and the AFC fail to find agreement on the candidates proposed thus far, a consensus candidate from outside the ranks of the parties could be considered. The AFC proposed Nagamootoo for the position while APNU had put forward two nominees in Deborah Backer and Bishwaishwar ‘Cammie’ Ramsaroop for the post.
Last week, Roopnaraine said there is nothing in the Constitution that precludes the two parties rotating the position of Speaker of the National Assembly.
Shortly after the announcement of the elections results the leaders of the parties in Parliament, at the invitation of President Donald Ramotar, met at the office of the President for discussions and the selection of the Speaker was chief among the topics.
Presidential Advisor, Gail Teixeira said that during the discussion, Ramotar had proposed the last Speaker, Ralph Ramkarran be re-elected to the position.
The parties then agreed to a subsequent meeting where the list of nominees would be reviewed. That meeting was never held and the AFC and APNU have since agreed that the Speaker will be from the opposition but talks between the two parties were deadlocked for weeks.
Parliament is constitutionally due to be convened before the end of this month where the first order of business will be the election of the Speaker.
