| By Abena Rockcliffe As Budget debates wound down yesterday, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Desmond Trotman sought to squeeze in his recommendation for a complete revamp of Guyana’s governance framework.APNU MP Desmond TrotmanEven as he stressed that “need”, the Member pointed out a series of examples of abuse of power and conflict of interest being demonstrated by the current regime.Therefore his suggestion was that the first change be a decentralisation of power.Trotman told the Assembly that power needs to be decentralised at both the central and local government levels.At the central level, he asserted, the 1980 Constitution needs further amendment, including decrease of the power of the office of President.In addition, the Member said that critical institutions are required to be established or strengthened in order to provide much needed checks and balances.At the local government level, Trotman recommended that there is need for strengthening and extensive reform, including a reduction of the power of the Local Government Minister and a strengthening of regional and municipal powers, likewise those of the Central Government.He then paused to ask “But will this power-hungry,Wholesale Jerseys, minority Executive Government facilitate such structural change or will it continue to stymie constitutional progress?”Trotman soon made no qualms to say that “Guyana requires a new paradigm of political cooperation and an attitudinal transformation, particularly on the part of those who have been in office for the last 21 years and who deserve a failure grade of ‘F’,Arian Foster Dolphins Jersey, as far as good governance is concerned.”The first government Minister whose “misconduct” Trotman chose to highlight was the Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh.According to Trotman, Singh’s “conduct seems to know no bounds or any sense of professional decency.”He asked, “How can a Finance Minister be Chairman of NICIL and therefore,Wholesale Jerseys, in fact, he is reporting to and advising his very self? This is an absurdity.”Trotman continued his speech saying that the truth is that every decision of the Government is informed by “arrogance and the expectation that an ever loyal and partisan constituency will return it to power.”The Member then asserted that consultation is not in the government’s dictionary, citing as examples that attempts were made to “increase the electricity tariff in Linden and appropriate the Plaisance Community Centre playfield,Cheap MLB Jerseys China, without any consultation with the communities.”As Trotman continued his focus on Ministerial code of conduct, he said that when he listened to the Junior Finance Minister speak of government’s proposals to address the question of corruption; “I wondered which planet he came from. It is clear to me that he does not understand that when you are part of the problem you cannot be part of the solution. Listening to him I got the impression that he has promised a miracle to resolve this tremendous crisis. It seems as if he has not learned his lesson. He ought to know since November 28, 2011 when he promised the PPPC that with Jesus’ assistance he will deliver Guyana to them and failed, that he is incapable of delivering miracles. He failed in 2011 and will fail today if that is what he believes he can do.”The House erupted,Brent Seabrook Jersey, but before a point of order was put forward,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, Speaker Trotman intervened correcting the Member as he informed that “What the honourable Member said was that if Jesus was in Guyana he would have voted for the PPP.” |
