– Dr. David Hinds By Kiana WilburgAt every sitting of the National Assembly, it becomes clearer, that bygones will never remain bygones. Insults will be thrown. Insinuations about a politician’s misgivings will be brought up,
Wholesale China Jerseys, and political finesse will be thrown out of the window,
Cheap NFL Jerseys China, regardless of how many times the House Speaker, Dr. Barton Scotland reminds the office holders that they are being watched, that they are expected to behave in line with parliamentary codes of conduct.About two weeks ago, the Parliamentary opposition lamented that it had been over 15 sittings and it was yet to have its day in the House to bring matters it believed were of national importance. But every motion it brought was either rejected by the Speaker, shot down by the Government’s side and in one historic case, one of the Opposition’s motions was hijacked,
Wholesale Stitched Jerseys, amended by the Executive and passed.It was not their day at all, some concluded. In fact, University Professor, Dr. David Hinds says that the Parliament is not, “a very democratic place as far as scope for the Opposition is concerned.”As for the criticism that the Executive is perhaps adopting the same, “arrogant and disrespectful attitude which was displayed in the Parliament by the PPP regime,” Dr. Hinds says that he does not agree.“I don’t think it’s a case of the new government behaving like the previous one. The government has changed, but the parliamentary rules have not changed. That’s where the issue is. The problem lies at the very nature of our parliamentary democracy; it’s a majoritarian democracy that gives the majority party or parties almost total control of the parliamentary agenda and outcomes. Pure and simple,
wholesale jerseys, that is the problem.”In Guyana’s acrimonious political culture, Dr. Hinds said that all governments inevitably activate their majority parliamentary privilege.University Professor, Dr. David HindsPresidentDavid GrangerOpposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo“I say inevitable because the parliamentary opposition is seldom in a mode of cooperation. Opposition has come to mean undermining of government and using the parliament not as oversight, but as a medium for political cuss-down.”The political activist also addressed the opposition’s objection to Executive members being on standing committees or even chairing them. He said that indeed the opposition parties chair some sectoral committees.? He said however that it is on the floor that major decisions are made and the opposition just does not have the votes.“Crucially,
Cheap Jerseys, they also don’t control the agenda. So that government bills get preference partly because it is the government that primarily runs the country but partly because the government side has the power to determine the agenda. In the final analysis the parliament is not a very democratic place as far as scope for the opposition is concerned. Perhaps that is why they don’t treat it with much reverence.”The University professor said that a lot is placed on the Speaker to be a fair moderator.“But in the last analysis the Speaker is there with the support of the Majority; more often than not he or she is a member of the majority party or one of the parties in the case of a Coalition. Some of our Speakers have tried to be impartial as far as the rules allow them to. However, no speaker is going to undermine the majority that puts him or her there. In any case, often the speaker has to be constantly parting fights between the two sides and preventing the opposition from turning the parliament into street-corner party rallies.”Minister ofSocial Cohesion,Ms. Amna AllyHouse Speaker,Dr. Barton ScotlandHe then referred to the recent case where the Speaker, Dr. Barton Scotland, did not allow the PPP’s motion to discuss the looming Wales closure. The Speaker rejected the motion for according to the Standing Orders, such motions should satisfy three absolute criteria—definite, urgent and of national importance.Dr. Scotland had told the House that the matter was indeed definite and of public importance but it is not urgent, since the closure is expected to be at the end of the year.“The Speaker was acting within the rules. It was not an extraordinarily urgent matter. Of course it’s the speaker’s judgment. On such a matter I would have exercised some leniency and allowed limited debate. But if you do that where do you stop? There was other equally important business on the agenda that day. So you have to have good reason to delay that agenda.”“One of our major problems is that the parliament cannot serve as an effective oversight of the Executive because most of the members of the execu
