Second sitting of Youth Parliament, Opposition wins
─ Govt’s Youth Prime Minister, Reon Miller copped ‘Best Debater’
─ Opposition’s Shadow Minister of Natural Resources, Miracle Miller awarded ‘Best Speaker’
DPI, Guyana, Thursday, August 16, 2018
The 4th Annual Youth Parliament continued today, with the University of Guyana Students engaging in deliberations on motions presented by both sides of the National Assembly.
The Government side of the house presented motions on augmenting efforts to combat climate change and the establishment of a media monitoring unit. While the Opposition side moved two motions; the Amendment to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act and local oil refinery.
After a heated debate and rebuttals from both sides, the Opposition side of the house was declared the winner by a panel of judges which included Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman.
Minister Trotman commended the students for selecting current topics and conducting extensive research for their presentations, especially on the issue of climate change and oil refining.
“Your research was spot on, I know that there was a degree of nervousness but I would like to say that we all learnt not just the judges but all of us who sat in this afternoon and you took time to research the subject and the ministry or the minister who you shadowed or represented.”
The minister requested that the Parliament Office transcribe the student’s speeches, and have them packaged and distributed to Members of the National Assembly.
This is the first time the University of Guyana participated in the event. Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland urged the students to continue to strive for greatness. “However well you did today, there is another round of the ladder you can climb. never be content with what you have achieved always asked what else I must do because you are capable of doing a lot more,” the Speaker charged.
Youth Speaker of the National Assembly, Malcolm Wills noted that the initiative provided a platform for youths to have a voice and play an active role in the decision-making process of the country. Wills used the opportunity to urge the Members of Parliament to support the National Youth Policy that is being presented to the National Assembly.
Youth Prime Minister, Reon Miller was awarded the Best Debater, while Opposition’s Youth Shadow Minister of Natural Resources, Miracle Miller was awarded Best Speaker.
Today’s session concludes the second sitting of the 4th Annual Youth Parliament 2018. During the first sitting on August 15, the Government side of the house won the debate, Best Speaker was awarded to Arifa Ahsidally, who was the Shadow Minister of Education, while the Best Debater was awarded to the Youth Prime Minister, Jordan Kellman.
Synieka Thorne
Images: Keno George and Jameel Mohamed