Georgetown: Leader of the Opposition Brigadier David Granger has called on President Donald Ramotar to assent to bills passed by the National Assembly.
The Opposition Leader recalled that, nearly two years ago, the President stated in his inaugural address to the 10th Parliament on 10th February 2012: “Indeed the make-up of this new parliament dictates that we seek consensus and compromise and should resist the temptation to believe that any party can ride roughshod over another.”
The Opposition Leader expressed his dismay that the President had decided not to assent to several bills – the Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Bill, 2012; Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Bill, 2013; Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2013 and Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2012 – which were passed by the National Assembly.
The Opposition Leader pointed out that the President’s decision was contemptuous of the authority of the National Assembly and injurious to relations based on “consensus and compromise” between the Executive and Legislative branches of government which the President’s inaugural address promised.
The Opposition Leader announced the decision of A Partnership for National Unity, therefore, to withhold support of certain bills brought to the National Assembly by the Executive until and unless the Executive gave an assurance that bills already passed by the National Assembly will: (i) be assented to, or (ii) have their re-submission and passage facilitated in the National Assembly, and (iii) have the Bills to which the President has already assented operationalised without delay.
The Opposition Leader expressed his willingness to meet the President as early as possible to discuss, in the spirit of “consensus and compromise,” the issues arising from its concerns.
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