“We do not condone any attack on the holder of Constitutional Office” – PM responds to PPP MP article on Speaker

─ evokes Standing Order 91 and asks matter be sent to Privileges Committee

─ “I have known no allegation of this Speaker of this National Assembly being Partisan

DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, during the 95th Sitting of the National Assembly yesterday, stated that the Government side of the House will not condone any attack on the holder of Constitutional Office.

The Prime Minister was at the time responding to an article written by PPP’s member of Parliament, Harry Gill, in the local newspapers, which made assertions against the Speaker of the House.

Prime Minister Nagamootoo noted that the merit of the article transgresses the normative rules of the National Assembly. He added that “the citizens of Guyana would be enraged by the cavalier method of going outside of the National Assembly sheltering under ‘Freedom of Expression’ to launch a pre-meditated attack on the Office of the Speaker.”

The Leader of the Government’s Business pointed out that he does not know of any allegation of the Speaker being partisan, a leader or an Executive of any political party. The Prime Minister noted that “therefore it behoves us to protect the impartiality of the Speaker if we are to defend our Parliamentary Democracy and protect the same.”

During his remarks, there was heckling from the Opposition side of the House to which Prime Minister Nagamootoo responded, “I would also speak to the fact that politically, the alleged offender is being protected and we are all honourable members and we have been elected by the people of Guyana to protect the integrity of this House, to protect this important symbol of democracy.”

By: Gabreila Patram

Image by Keno George