The Speaker of the Assembly in Guyana, Hon. Manzoor Nadir, M.P. has been accused of being unfair and biased towards the Parliamentary Opposition. The Chief Opposition Whip, Christopher Jones M.P., made reference to the Speaker’s alleged bias during his budget speech this year, and noted that the Speaker had defended himself against the accusations. M.P. Jones has once again stated that recent events highligh a pattern of unfair and biased behavior by Guyana’s Speaker of the Assembly.
One incident cited by Jones occurred during a presentation by Charles Ramson Jr. Ramson quoted Mark Twain, saying “let’s be thankful for fools because without them the rest of us wouldn’t be able to succeed.” In contrast, when Sherod Duncan attempted to use a quote from President Barack Obama in his presentation, the Speaker interjected and ruled that the use of the word “corruption” was unparliamentary.
These incidents have led to calls for the Speaker to address concerns about his impartiality and his ability to fairly preside over assembly debates. Jones stated that “Throughout the debates the Speaker continues to show his true colors, but as the old saying goes, ‘long time done, short time left’.” It remains to be seen whether the Speaker will be able to address these concerns and regain the trust of the assembly.
