Parliament Crippled Without Opposition Leader

Dear Editor,

As a youngest a popular feature column in one of our newspapers was titled “Believe it or Not” by Ripley, it reported many occurrences which to the reader seems bizarre and unbelievable, but true. Elections were held on September 1st, almost three months ago, yet in keeping with tradition and expectations of Guyanese everywhere we do not have in place a leader of the opposition, reminiscent of attempting to drive a car with only three wheels functioning.

We heard statements by a number of political pundits most of them nonsensical and ill-informed, the erudite dissertation by Neville J Bissember Jnr as published in Wednesday 26, November independent media is instructive and necessary reading. If some of the mis-guided statements on this matter, of the appointment of the leader of the opposition, emanate from within segments of the PNC, let me make it clear, I remain an unwavering, unshakable, and solid supporter of the People’s National Congress, the party founded by our visionary Forbes Burnham.

For me, there can be no vacillation, no sand-dancing all of us who believe that parliament is one of the pillars upon which our free and democratic society rest, must speak up and make noises, we must inveigh against having an incomplete parliament, for without the appointment of the leader of the opposition, our parliamentary system, our proclaimed democracy, is disabled.

Guyanese everywhere must join in a clarion call to require the speaker to summon a meeting of the non-government members to have the leader of the opposition identified without further procrastination. Our ancestors who fought for freedom and those who navigated the turbulence of that stressful and dangerous Cold War, and those who survived the oil crisis, must be shedding tears of this near three-month hiatus with an incomplete parliament.

Mr Speaker carryout the duties as required by the constitution without fear or favourable, and save us Mr Speaker from any further embarrassment.

Yours truly,
Elder Hamilton Green