Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 13, 2012 Letters
Mr Editor,
Yesterday the 10th parliament of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana was officially convened. I had hoped that this would have been not only a celebration of the end of “winner takes all politics”, but a historic moment for Guyanese women; the selection of the first female speaker; alas history will have to wait.
The 10th parliament will still be historic in many ways, for this will be the first time that the government members constitute a minority. Opposition Leader David Granger will be Majority leader of the House and in a compromise between the two opposition parties, AFC Leader Raphael Trotman, Speaker of the House.
It is now time for parliament to get down to doing the people’s business and among one of the first items should be the Presidents pension package. It is too bloated, poorly structured, ill conceived and way too costly a burden for our taxpayers to bear.
This Bill should have no problem passing since both the AFC and the APNU are in agreement that it must be changed. The other hot button campaign issue was corruption, more specifically government corruption.
Guyana is too poor a country to tolerate corruption, which makes the rich richer at the expense of the poor. This new parliament must seek to establish an impartial and Non-political tender board. This board will advertise, award and see contracts through to a satisfactory conclusion.
There must be campaign finance laws that places a cap on the amount of money that can be donated to political campaigns; there must be disclosure clauses that force contractors to reveal their campaign contributions; establish severe penalties for bribery, all of this will be necessary to ensure that the tender board is indeed corruption free.
The new Parliament must tackle the issue of ethics in Government and find ways to restore the public trust in elected officials. A good start would be a code of conduct for all Members of Parliament, Cabinet Ministers, registered party and government officials. There must be a parliamentary ethics committee with investigative and subpoena powers. Public officials must be held to high standard and held accountable for their actions. It must be clear that they are there to serve the people and not to serve themselves.
This should be a very hard-working parliament that must also tackle the Security sector reform and the Access to Information Bill. The security sector reforms recommendations must be implemented. Freedom of information must not be an empty slogan but a living breathing part of our democracy.
None must be exempt; there must be freedom of information from the Office of the President (OP), to the Post Office (PO). Any citizen of this country must be able to have access to public information. Government monopoly of the airwaves must be brought to and end.
The tenth parliament must have a debate about the role of government, and government ownership of corporations and media houses. Constitutional reform must also be high on the agenda of this 10thParliament. For far too long we have given lip service towards changing the 1980 constitution, it is time for positive change in that direction.
I would like to wish the new Speaker and the new members of parliament well, and like most Guyanese I will be carefully following the deliberations of this august body. We must hope and pray that this new dispensation brings real change to the people’s house, especially in the way members conduct the people’s business; ensuring that all Guyanese regardless of race, religion, class or political affiliation can enjoy a good and decent life.
Mark Archer
Please share this to every Guyanese including your house cats.
Apr 19, 2024
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