Speaker will not place his credibility on stake – Jagdeo

Jan 01, 2019 News

The Speaker of the House will not reverse the no-confidence motion because he would never do anything to place his credibility at stake. This is according to Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat

Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo

Jagdeo, who said at his press conference yesterday that he has faith that the speaker is a man of integrity.
Even so, Jagdeo said that the speaker has no power of review.
“It’s not the speaker who voted in parliament. Thirty three members on one side voted in favour of the motion, 32 against. The Speaker reported to the house that the motion has been passed. The clerk then notified me by way of a letter that it has been passed.”
He said that, for the speaker to reverse this, “he has to come up with a new interpretation of what it would take… what is a majority. I doubt that our speaker will place his credibility at stake here.”
“I think it’s quite clear to every sane Guyanese that the majority contemplated in the constitution was 33.”
The former president chastised the government for its resistance to the motion, which was already declared as carried, and said that “citing irrelevant, obscure precedents will not change that, and so the speaker has no power of review. The government has to resign now, in accordance with article 106(6).
That article states that “The Cabinet including the President shall resign if the Government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence.”
It provides the government with 90 days to facilitate the execution of General Elections and to resign, pending such elections.
Jagdeo also urged public officials that they should not engage in any illegal acts by direction of the government.

Speaker of the National Assembly, Barton Scotland

“You’re dealing with a lame duck administration, a caretaker government. Be careful about what instructions you take from them because, in three months time, they will move from caretaker status to being an illegal, illegitimate, unconstitutional government.”
He said that he already made it clear to the international community and the private sector that “the moment that deadline passes, any act of this government will not be recognized by the People’s Progressive Party.”
“If you engage with them, pay money or sign contracts, you do so at your own peril.”