Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Feb 25, 2014 News
Leader of the opposition coalition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) David Granger has said that during its two years in the National Assembly it has been able to keep the government accountable.
The opposition leader explained that over a little more than two years, APNU has faced the challenge first of all of ensuring that the integrity and autonomy of the National Assembly would be preserved.
“It is because of that I was taken to court four times by the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, so there’s been a big battle to ensure the autonomy of the National Assembly.”
The second area of challenge, he said, has been the accountability of Ministers. “After 21 years in government, the Peoples Progressive Party Civic [PPP/C] administration had literally lost respect for the Assembly. They knew they had the majority of votes and they could do what they liked.
“This came to an end in 2012 and they were made more accountable. When we asked for explanations if they were inadequate or were not forth coming we simply did not approve. APNU did not go to the National Assembly to block or cut; we went ensure good governance,” Granger explained.
And with regard to accountability Granger, said that APNU ensured particularly with the Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh, that when he brought any measure before the National Assembly he had to explain in sufficient detail what the money was used for. “In the event he is coming for supplementary funding, he had to justify expenditure.”
According to Granger this has been successful because they (government) have started to comply.
Granger added that with Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, after the opposition brought a motion of no confidence against him, since July 2012 APNU “did not entertain any measures he brought before so that shows you that we have clout; we have leverage and we have the ability to ensure that our decisions are put into effect.”
However he said that there are some areas of disagreement. He cited the Finance Minister as an example.
“We are going to bring the Minister before the Committee of Privileges, because in 2013 he did expend monies which were not approved by the National Assembly. Now at the end of the Budget he has to bring what is called an Appropriation Bill.
Once that is approved it could be reduced, once its approved in whatever form it is signed into law, if the Minister of Finance spends money not approved in the Appropriations Bill and we are not satisfied with his explanations, we are going to impose sanctions on the Minister.”
According to Granger those are the two areas that APNU in particular, and the opposition in general, have been able to establish a higher standard of accountability with Government Ministers and a higher standard of autonomy of the National Assembly.
“It is now clear that the Courts cannot intrude into some areas of internal management, and it is now clear that Ministers cannot trample on the opinions and the decisions of the National Assembly” said Granger.
“I would say that over that last two years APNU has been able to transform Parliament into a more deliberative forum and one in which there is greater attentiveness on the part of the executive to what the opposition has to say; we have got their attention,” Granger asserted.
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