Dear Editor,
I have witnessed the controversy over the issue of majority votes in the National Assembly of Guyana.
The National Assembly is the Highest Court in the land with its own procedures and system. The Speaker is likened onto a Superior Judge of the land, the Clerk of the National Assembly to the Registrar of the Court. The No-Confidence Motion has been debated and voted upon. The Speaker, the Superior Judge declared the Motion is carried on behalf of the Opposition and therefore the Government has fallen, confirmed by the Prime Minister, a leader of Government’s business.
The Clerk of Parliament being the Registrar confirmed the declaration of the Speaker, the Superior Judge and accordingly the Clerk (Registrar) of the National Assembly sent out the certified Order of the National Assembly to the various relevant sources, in this case the Opposition Leader, the Prime Minister and other relevant entities.
The National Assembly in my view is now functus officio and cannot revisit the Order made as it is now estopped from so doing.
No Court of law can knock on the door and enter the National Assembly to regulate its functions and proceedings and therefore the Order of the Speaker as confirmed by the Clerk cannot be altered.
It appears only with the support of the Opposition can the proceedings be revisited.
Yours faithfully,
J.T. Kissoon,
Attorney-at-Law
