GEORGETOWN, Guyana– An opposition legislator Tuesday accused the Guyana government of stifling democracy in Guyana. The time has come for it answers whether consensus is being practiced in the National Parliament.
“This government lustily sings a call for a “One Guyana” but practices the opposite. Just imagine that the Opposition parliamentarians who represent at least one-half of the people of Guyana are treated as pariahs by the government of Guyana,” Vincent Henry told the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) seminar at the Arthur Chung Conference Center.
Henry told the seminar that the opposition, which controls 32 of the 65 seats, hopes that the CPA will hold the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) accountable for conducting parliamentary affairs.
He said the government of President Dr. Irfaan Ali has not been open to working with the opposition at the parliamentary or any level and that he believes he rubbishes the government’s inclusivity talks.
Henry told the seminar of the exclusion of opposition legislators from this year’s Republic Anniversary ceremony as one of the many examples of the government deliberately seeking to undermine and exclude the opposition.
“Parliamentary sittings are seen to be more as impediments than as necessary. However, when there is a need to dip into the Consolidated Fund, one may rest assured that Parliament will be held,” Henry said.
He said the government also uses its one-seat majority in the Parliament to railroad pieces of legislation even when it is confronted with strong opposition.
“Recently, we saw the current government using its majority to change the quorum of the Public Accounts Committee so that they can stymie its work by nonattendance whenever issues to be dealt with are too hot for their comfort,” Henry said, adding that the members of the population are well aware that the Parliament operates in “an unfair and bias.
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