Speaker brushes aside Opposition motion for task force on border controversy

David Patterson

Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, on Tuesday disregarded a motion lodged by the Parliamentary Opposition seeking to establish a multi-stakeholder task force to address issues arising out of the Venezuela/Guyana border controversy. 

 Opposition Parliamentarian, David Patterson, during the 70th Sitting of the National Assembly, in putting forward the motion, sought a deferment of the National Assembly to treat the motion, which he described as a “definite matter of urgent public importance,” but the Speaker in his ruling said the issue at hand “was not urgent.”

 The APNU+AFC Member of Parliament said the resolve clause, called on the government to immediately establish a multi-party, multi-stakeholder task force to address all aspects concerning safety and security arising out of the Guyana/Venezuela border controversy. He reminded that this was addressed in an earlier motion passed by the National Assembly that had dealt with the controversy in great detail.