Motion to be tabled today to reverse PAC quorum

Dec 11, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – When the National Assembly is convened today, Opposition Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul will move a motion aimed at revising the quorum for the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) from five members, to three for meetings of the parliamentary body to proceed.

Opposition Member of Parliament, Ganesh Mahipaul

Previously a quorum for the PAC was three members in keeping with Standing Order 95 (6) which states “Unless the Assembly otherwise direct, three (3) Members shall be the quorum. In ascertaining whether there is a quorum present, the Member in the Chair shall not be excluded.”

However, last year, despite strong opposition from the Opposition APNU/AFC, the PPP/C government used its one seat majority to amend the standing orders in a motion moved by Minister of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs and PPP/C Member of Parliament (MP) Gail Teixeira.

With the amendments, the PAC meetings could not go forward without the government side or opposition present.

In Mahipaul’s submission, he noted that “since the existence of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), its work has always gone unhindered up until Resolution No. 35 of the National Assembly of Guyana.”

He also highlighted that the committee is yet to complete the “the examination of the Auditor General Reports for the years 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021,” as well as “to submit reports to the National Assembly for the financial years 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.”

It was also noted that since Resolution 35 came into play, the PAC was forced to cancel 11 meetings due to the lack of a quorum, as no member from the government’s side showed up. The proposed resolution to the issue, according to the motion, is that the “National Assembly rescinds Resolution No.35 which was passed by the National Assembly on Wednesday, 13th April, 2022.”

Mahipaul had previously expressed to the National Assembly that thnow that the quorum has changed, by the government members not showing up, it creates a scenario to stall the review of spending by the PPP/C regime.

The vote had come days after Chairman of the PAC, Opposition MP Jermaine Figueira raised concerns about the motion submitted by Teixeira to amend the Standing Orders which deals with the quorum for the PAC.

He explained that the previous quorum made it vastly different from all other committees of the Parliament and provides for a more independent and apolitical environment. According to the Chair, the motion by the Minister, who is also member of the PAC, sought to stymie the work of the committee.

“We in the APNU+AFC are confident that the effect of this motion will be that by their mere non-attendance, the PPP will stymie the functioning of the PAC rendering it impotent and non-functional,” he said.

• Ganesh Mahipaul, Motion, moved, Opposition Member of Parliament, PAC, Parliament, quorum