A second attempt yesterday by the Opposition to seek information on the visit by US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo was denied by Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir.
“I maintain the position that the question does not qualify as urgent. It is important but it is not urgent,” Nadir stressed one day before the scheduled arrival of Pompeo.
On Monday, APNU+AFC MP Amanza Walton-Desir had submitted a series of questions on the proposed visit for response from Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd.
Walton-Desir had sought to have Todd assure the Assembly that Guyana would maintain a non-interventionist stance in relation to Venezuela and provide an analysis of the possible impact of Pompeo’s visit on the case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The questions which were submitted as oral questions without notice were read on Tuesday by Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon and rejected by Nadir who stressed that they did not fit the criteria for such questions.
He noted that according to Standing Order 18 such questions must either be urgent and important or pertain to the business of the day before advising that they be resubmitted as Oral Questions.
Opposition Chief Whip Christopher Jones later in the same sitting submitted two similar questions asking for the details of the programme and agenda on matters for discussion for the visit, and asking the Foreign Affairs Minister to identify Guyana’s key interests and non-negotiable policies as they relate to Venezuela and whether the administration can guarantee the people of Guyana that their national interests will not be compromised.
“Today is the 15th of September, 2020 and the National Assembly and the people of Guyana are in the dark about the visit to Guyana by the highest ranking member of the United States administration ever in its history,” Jones stressed as part of his submission.
