The National Assembly of guyana

The National Assembly was scheduled to meet today. Everyone in Guyana was expectant to see how the Speaker and APNU/AFC will handle the No-Confidence Motion. The Leader of the Opposition and the PPP MPs were seated. But the government MPs were AWOL, missing in action. This is disrespect for parliament and our people. It is arrogance. It is an assault on our democracy. It shows that things are falling apart and there is confusion. Guyana deserves better

"No matter the spin by its leaders, the AFC, currently holding 12 seats in Parliament, has been reduced to the veritable ‘lef lef’. The electorate doesn’t see it as a third party anymore or one that has a hint of independence from APNU. It lost this cachet when it unthinkingly supported the unilateral appointment of a chairman of GECOM. It won’t be seen as a foil for the PPP/C in the future or a haven for independents or the swing vote. Space has now been carved open for genuine independents or a third party to prepare for entry to the 2020 electoral race."

Dear Ministers and Parliamentarians ... something needs to be done about all the barricades around the Stabroek market area. We understand and respect that you guys are very important people in Guyana. However systems must be put in place for the free flow of traffic around the businesses.

Especially for commercial traffic ( delivery vehicles ) during this busy season.

Guyana and the United Kingdom are working to build relations and cooperation for the emerging oil sector in Guyana.

Guyana’s High Commissioner to the UK, Frederick Hamley Case and the British High Commissioner to Guyana, Greg Quinn, are leading a delegation to the Scottish city of Aberdeen, which is aimed at building relationships to support the Guyana’s oil and gas sector.

As part of the visit, the delegation will be meeting a series of oil and gas suppliers and academic institutions.

High Commissioner Case believes Aberdeen’s experience with the North Sea sector will be indispensable in Guyana’s own journey with the energy sector.

Government will continue to support the local tourism sector with further investments in marketing, capacity building and product development, while investments in critical infrastructure will reduce the cost of accessing Guyana’s unique tourism brand, says Finance Minister Winston Jordan.

The aforementioned was related on Monday during Jordan’s 2019 budget presentation. No sum was quoted for the further investments, he mentioned.

Tensions in the National Assembly have now settled following members arguing over whether or not the Parliamentary live stream began when the first speaker Irfaan Ali was making his presentation to the National Assembly.

Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Barton Scotland told opposition Member of Parliament for the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Priya Manickchand that recording from the gallery was not permitted but in response she said that Government’s media agency DPI was not carrying favorable coverage towards the Opposition hence her efforts to record a live stream of Ali’s speech with her mobile phone.

She was deemed out of order.

Followings the Speaker’s upbraid for the use of recording devices, which he said was against the rules and practices of the House, Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira pointed out that the live stream of the Parliamentary proceedings was interrupted when Ali was giving his speech but it was up and working when the time came for Business Minister Dominic Gaskin to make his presentation.

The Speaker however, advised the PPP member that the live stream started from the beginning and ordered her to take her seat when she continued arguing her case.

After the brief display of tension, Gaskin was allowed to make his presentation.

In a post on social media Manickchand said that she is not aware of any standing order that prohibits live streaming.

“What is the wrong I did? If you look at the video you will see that it was when Mr Ali was speaking of corruption and mismanagement in the Education Ministry, that Nicolette Henry and Simona Broome’s complained…one would have thought these two young women would be of the generation and mindset that would want to have the people’s business made as available to the people as possible…Free speech includes not only speaking but communicating those views and ideas to whosoever wishes to listen” Manickchand posited.

Ali started the Parliamentary Budget Debates for 2019 on Monday where he declared that Finance Minister Winston Jordan is providing inflated estimates aimed providing Guyanese with an “imaginary good life.”