….hints at a possible boycott if PAC not established
Incoming Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), David Patterson, in a blistering letter to the Speaker of the House Manzoor Nadir, not only expressed his disappointment that the constitutional committee has not been established but hinted at a possible boycott of the next Sitting of the National Assembly, should the first meeting of the PAC not be held.
“I note with disappointment, that no notice for the convening of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has been issued, thus it is now highly unlikely that you be upholding your duty to summon the first meeting to have this very important committee constitutionally established,” Patterson said in a letter to the Speaker on Monday.
Constitutionally, the Speaker is mandated to call the first meeting of the PAC to facilitate the appointment of Members. It has been three months since the first sitting of the National Assembly was held but to date, the PAC has not been convened.
Patterson, an A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Member of Parliament, has been identified by the Opposition for the chairmanship. To date, he has written at least four letters to the Speaker underscoring the need for the PAC to be convened. Letters were dispatched on November 18 & 25, 2020 and December 1, 10 & 18, 2020 but Patterson’s efforts thus far have been thus far have been unsuccessful.
“It is unacceptable to have the Parliament convened at great expense to the citizens, and not use this opportunity to convene committee meetings. It is disrespectful to the Members and a disservice to the country,” Patterson told the Speaker while indicating that the APNU+AFC MPs do not see any benefit in attending a parliamentary session, which does not take the opportunity, to reestablish the Assembly on a firm footing.
The 14th Sitting of the National Assembly will be held on Wednesday, December 23, 2020 at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) from 10:00hrs. Given the urgent need to have the PAC in place, Patterson recommended that the standing order be suspected to facilitate the establishment of the committee.
“In the past, when faced with similar circumstances, former Speakers would have requested that our Standing orders be suspended by motion, hence suspending the time required for scheduling of committee meetings (which is three (3) days in the case of the PAC), I write in a final plea and ask that you confirm that you will be willing to request that the Parliament suspend our Standing Orders and summon a meeting at very short notice. The Opposition Members of the PAC will be on standby, ready and able to attend as soon as there is any indication from your good self, about convening the first meeting of the PAC,” Patterson told the Speaker.
He also drew to the Speaker’s attention the fact that questions to Ministers, as submitted by both him and APNU+AFC MP Khemraj Ramjattan were not included on the 14th Order Paper though duly approved and circulated.
“We assume that those omissions were a simple oversight, and a supplementary Order Paper will be issued correcting these omissions,” Patterson said.
