Former President and Representative of the APNU+AFC List, David Granger has written to the Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir on the decision of Dr Nicolette Henry to resign as a Member of Parliament.
Nadir last night confirmed to Stabroek News that he did receive correspondence from the former President, however he stated that the contents of the letter informed him of “her intention to resign.”
The Speaker did not divulge any further information.
When Stabroek News last night contacted Henry by phone she declined to comment. After the Stabroek News reporter identified himself she said “Good Night… Have a blessed night. I am engaged at the moment. I am dealing with matters of great importance.” Even as the reporter asked her a question about her resignation, she said “I could not hear your question…” and continued with her salutations before ending the call.
Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs yesterday told Stabroek News that it was not Granger, who should have written to the Speaker to inform him of the resignation. Isaacs said Henry needed to inform him as Clerk of the National Assembly and that has still not yet been done even though Henry announced her resignation on Wednesday.
The murkiness around Henry’s resignation continues to impact on when PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton would be able to enter Parliament and be elected Opposition Leader.
Observers have pointed out that another APNU+AFC MP could resign and immediately notify the clerk at which point Granger would then be written to by GECOM seeking a replacement.
The manoeuvrings around Norton’s entry to Parliament and election as Leader of the Opposition have undermined the public image of the PNCR, APNU+AFC and its leaders.
A group pf PNCR elders is due to meet this week in a bid to help resolve the crisis.
APNU+AFC Chief Whip Chris Jones on Sunday evening told this newspaper that he has not been given a resignation by Henry. Jones said that she had not even orally informed him that she was leaving Parliament and he, like many other parliamentarians on the opposition side, only learned through the press that she was expected to resign and heard it confirmed in her address.
“As I conclude my presentation, Mr. Speaker, allow me to place on record a few thank yous, in light that this is my final budget presentation in this honourable House. Of course, I begin by thanking none other than his Excellency former President Granger who reposed in me the confidence to serve in this honourable House. I am forever grateful to the people of this country who afforded me the opportunity to serve them with professionalism, dignity and accountability,” she had said. “I thank the coalition partners, Khemraj, for their unwavering support and guidance,” she added as she turned to her right and looked across at her colleague and Leader of the AFC Khemraj Ramjattan.
When a Member of Parliament resigns there then exists a vacancy in the House that the party in question would have to fill. It is the duty of the Clerk of the National Assembly to inform the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the Chief Election Officer (CEO) of the name of the member who resigned and which party they represented.
It is on that basis the CEO would then write to the Representative of the List of that party, Granger in this instance, requesting that they extract a name from the list they would have submitted before the elections.
The name of that person is then extracted and the Representative of the List then writes to GECOM informing them of the proposed replacement so that a certificate of election could be issued.
“The certificate of election says this person was elected for whichever party and it is on that basis the person could then be made a member of the National Assembly,” a GECOM official has explained.
