| “Come on President Ramotar, assent to those Bills,” was the lament of A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU) Basil Williams, yesterday when the party held a special media briefing at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition.He was at the time referring to the four pieces of legislation passed in Parliament,Hydro Flask Uk Sale, as a prerequisite for the holding of the long over-due Local Government Elections.APNU Executive Member,Wholesale Jerseys China, Basil WilliamsWilliams accused the administration of persistently seeking to dominate the Clerk of the National Assembly,Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys, “and subvert his authority.”He was referring to the fact that the Bills that have been approved by Parliament are currently stalled at the Chambers of the Attorney General and are yet to be sent to the President for his assent.“APNU further reiterates that it is the Clerk of Parliament who has the duty to present the Bills to the President, not the Attorney General.”Regarding the public pronouncements by Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, that he was awaiting word from the President on whether to issue an assent certificate, Williams told media operatives, he does not know of any such precedent and that “the perpetuation of a wrong doesn’t make it right.”According to Williams, while the Constitution of Guyana is silent on who should present the approved Bills to the President, the Parliamentary Standing Orders dictate that it be done by the Clerk of the National Assembly.Williams however suggested that the Clerk of the National Assembly lacks any independence and is dominated by Office of the President. “He’s dominated by the government.”Asked about realistic options available to the APNU to press for the Bills to be engaged by the President, the APNU executive retorted, “A President’s word should be his bond.”He was referring to the fact that Ramotar had publicly stated his intention to not assent to any Bill passed without the input of the government.“It was not a majority, it was a unanimous decision that these Bills must go forward, and so the President cannot now say that he is not assenting to them. He knows that.”The President upon receipt of the Bill is constitutionally bound to address them within 21 days.Williams also rejected the arguments made that the Parliament needs to secure the services of attorneys, in order to ensure that the Bills are properly prepared for the President.He suggested that the position is already occupied by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel.The APNU executive said that while the Chief Parliamentary Counsel is housed at the Office of the Attorney General,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, he along with his assistants is present at the Parliamentary sessions in the Full House as well as the Committees.Williams was adamant that “the AG has absolutely nothing to do with this process.”He suggested that when the Bills are presented to the President it is then that he has the prerogative to seek advice from the AG,Air Max Canada Sale, if he wishes.Asked a second time about the realistic options available to APNU to have the Bills engaged by the President, Williams responded, “He (Ramotar) is Head of Government and they have control over the Parliament…The parliamentary staff, they appoint them,Wholesale Jerseys, they pay them and we know that they exert undue influence on them.”He did rule out the option at present of any street marches in order to get the Bills addressed, “because the President must have the Bills presented to him…We have alerted him so if the Bills are not presented to him it means then that the President is either turning a Nelson’s eye to what the requirement of the law is, or is just plain set on preventing the people of Guyana from being empowered in the communities in which they live, it’s his call.” |
