Dear Editor,
As a former Member of Parliament, I have been paying keen interest to the National Assembly’s no-confidence motion on Mr Clement Rohee as Minister of Home Affairs, and the subsequent gagging in this capacity after the PPP administration refused to respect the House’s no-confidence vote.
I must say I am deeply disturbed by the manner in which this matter is being handled by the Speaker, Mr Raphael Trotman. Under the speakership of Mr Sase Narain, protocols and procedures were adhered to like clockwork, and no one was allowed to depart from these standards. Speaker Trotman cannot make a ruling on any decision if the National Assembly is not in session and he is not in the chair. This is similar to a magistrate or judge who cannot make a ruling when court is not in session and they are not sitting in their chair. Another concern is the Speaker cannot make a ruling like the one he made to lift the gag on Mr Rohee without giving the members of the National Assembly a chance to speak on the issue and where possible, vote on it.
I noticed the Alliance for Change (AFC) has said it respects the Speaker’s ruling, but how can a ruling be respected when it violates the protocols and procedures under which the Parliament and National Assembly function. With standards falling all over Guyana, the last place we need to see them falling is in the country’s highest decision-making forum.
I urge the current members of parliament, including the Speaker to stick to the protocols and procedures of the House and to only claim respect for doing what is right. I also urge the society to join me in making sure the right thing is done. Please do not bring this august body into further disrepute and make us the laughing stock of other legislatures around the world.
Yours faithfully,
B Beniprashad Rayman
