When will Guyana’s National Assembly meet?

Last Updated on Thursday, 23 October 2014, 22:02 by GxMedia

In Guyana where a no-confidence motion is hanging over the President Donald Ramotar administration, it is unclear when the National Assembly will meet again.

Now that the two-month parliamentary recess is over, sectoral and select committees are continuing their work but the House is yet to meet.

This, despite calls mainly by the smaller Alliance For Change (AFC) party for the House to be convened and for  that party’s no-confidence motion to be debated immediately. 

So far the government has not called a sitting.

The AFC has since written to the Speaker, Raphael Trotman asking him to call a sitting of the House.

The main opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)has declined to dispatch a joint letter to the House but has instead opted to issue a Joint Statement with the AFC.

But the issue now is even if the Speaker heeds the call by the opposition to convene a sitting, will the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs comply.

Mr Isaacs is already on record as saying that it is the government’s call to decide when the House should meet.  Previous Clerks have refused to comply with directives of other Speakers for the House to meet.

AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan  says now that the opposition has a one-seat majority, the Speaker is obliged to listen to the Speaker’s directives.