Georgetown: The Parliament Office and the Canadian government recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), paving the way for the provision of live Internet streaming of all parliamentary business, sittings, committee meetings and other parliamentary related activities.
The multimillion-dollar initiative is expected to take effect before the 2014 national and regional budget is presented in the House. It is expected to keep the world abreast with the business of the local Parliament. The project has been made possible through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives. This fund supports and implements projects, the world over, in partnership with local, national and international organisations, educational institutions and local governments.
During a simple ceremony in Committee Room Two, Parliament Buildings, Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman said the Parliament Office is about to make a quantum leap into the “present”, positing that the House has been lagging behind in the field of technology.
According to Trotman, with the commencement of the 10th Parliament, there was a vision to bring the people of Guyana closer to the House, and the new initiative will enable this dream to become a reality.
In 2012, Trotman, along with the clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs, approached the donor community for funds to initiate the project. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the then high commissioner of Canada David Devine responded positively.
However, things appeared dampened for awhile until the arrival of current Canadian High Commissioner, Dr Nicole Giles. Recently, the Parliament Office was informed that funding has been approved for the project which will allow persons in Lethem, Madhia and even Crabwood Creek to watch the proceedings of the National Assembly from the comfort of their homes, live.
High demand
According to the Speaker, there has been a high demand for this type of technology from the public, positing that since the commencement of the 10th Parliament, there has been a renewed interest in the affairs of the National Assembly.
Live streaming of the parliamentary sessions is a stepping stone to greater things, he posited.
He disclosed too that the e-parliament pilot project, equips all parliamentarians and staff of the Parliament Office with tablets to facilitate the exchange of information, thereby reducing the bulk of papers. This will be complemented by the launch of a media centre.
Meanwhile, Canadian High Commissioner Giles said the project will benefit all Guyanese, giving them a virtual front row seat to the proceedings of the National Assembly. “The project is both timely and ingenious, given that the democratic process has to function in an era where citizens increasing access their information and connect with their governments through technology and the Internet.”
She added that the live streaming of the proceedings will enable Guyanese to join the tidal wave, giving them equal access to the House, despite their location. Through the project, Canada is working with Guyana to provide the structure required to facilitate the transmission of information from the legislature to the people, thereby encouraging greater democratic participation.
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