‘Time for Ali to get off his high horse’ 

…Opposition Leader tells House; insists Constitution sets no precondition for consultation 

By Svetlana Marshall

Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon, said though Article 13 of the Constitution underlines the importance of inclusionary democracy in the decision making process, the Irfaan Ali Administration has failed to meaningfully consult the country’s main opposition party – the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC).

In fact there has been little to no consultation with the APNU+AFC since the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government took office seven months ago, and according to Harmon, it is time for President Ali to do the honourable thing as the Constitution sets no precondition for consultation with the Opposition Leader.

“Mr Speaker, it is time President Ali climbs down from his horse, and recognize that the only way forward for this country is by meaningful consultation,” the Opposition Leader told the House during his virtual presentation on the $383.1B Budget proposed by the PPP/C.

Since taking Office, President Ali has repeatedly said his Administration will not recognize the Leader of the Opposition unless he acknowledges the PPP/C as the legitimate Government, but Harmon again reminded the House that the Constitution sets no precondition for consultations between the President and the Leader of the Opposition.

“The Constitution, President Ali, sets no precondition for consultation, between the President and the Leader of the Opposition. In Article 127, Article 161, Article 191, Article 198, Article 200, Article 207, Article 210 and Article 212, none of them sets any precondition for consultation,” Harmon said in a direct message to the Head of State.

Article 127 of the Constitution requires that agreements be reached between the President and the Opposition Leader for the appointment of Chancellor and Chief Justice while Article 191 mandates that the ombudsman be appointed by the President based on consultation with the Opposition Leader.

Articles 198, 200, 207, 210, 212 and 161 outline similar requirements for the appointment of members of the Judicial Service Commission, the Public Service Commission, the Teaching Service Commission, the Police Service Commission, the Human Rights Commission and the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission.

For the Opposition Leader, the 2021 National Budget is another perfect example of the Government failing to consult the main opposition – the APNU+AFC. He said due to the lack of consultation the proposed budget is deficient, defective, and disastrous in many areas.

Quoting the late Winston Murray – a former People’s National Congress (PNC) Member of Parliament – the Opposition Leader underscored the importance for political parties to work together for the advancement of Guyana.

During his 2009 Budget Debate, Winston Murray had this to say: “I would like to say to the Honourable Minister that working together must not and cannot be a tool of convenience invoked in times of difficulties and crisis as a rallying call to cope with the situation, rather it must be a practice that is embedded in our way of life to get things done and to move the country forward.”

Harmon said Murray’s words 12 years after still holds true.

Noting that is time also for the country’s Vice President to take his “heavy hands” off of the Ali Administration, the Opposition Leader said, unlike the approach taken by the PPP/C in 2015, the Opposition, immediately after being sworn in as Members of Parliament, made it clear that it was prepared to cooperate on issues of territorial integrity, public security, public health, national sovereignty, and other areas critical to the public’s interest.

Consultation, he emphasized, is a necessary condition of reinforcing resilience within the population as a whole.