Combined opposition restates support for no-confidence motion

Last Updated on Wednesday, 1 October 2014, 21:17 by GxMedia

In the wake of efforts by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) to drive a wedge between the two opposition parties over which elections they each prefer, the combined opposition on Wednesday re-affirmed their unwavering commitment to passing the vote of no confidence against the government at the earliest sitting of the National Assembly.

“The parties, which hold a majority of seats in the National Assembly since the 2011 elections, emphasized that the holding of local government elections or the setting of a date for such elections, would not deflect from or affect passage of the vote of no confidence,” said the Alliance For Change (AFC) in a statement.

Rohee earlier this week stated that the AFC should prepare for a major political fallout because the APNU was not supporting the no-confidence motion and suggested that that opposition coalition could withdraw its stated support for the AFC-sponsored no-confidence motion. The combined opposition has a one-seat majority in the 65-seat House

The summit of the combined parliamentary opposition –A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the AFC- was held at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition. The AFC delegation comprised Leader Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, Vice-Chairman, Mr. Moses Nagamootoo, Ms. Catherine Hughes (party Whip), and General Secretary Mr. David Patterson

The APNU’s parliamentary delegation comprised its Chairman and Leader of the Opposition Brigadier (Ret’d) David Granger, Dr. Rupert Roopnarine Mr. Basil Williams (Deputy Speaker), Ms. Amna Ally (Opposition Chief Whip), Mr. Ronald Bulkan and Mr. Winston Felix (former Commissioner of Police).

APNU strongly reiterated support for the motion of no confidence against the minority PPP/C government, which was tabled in the National Assembly by AFC’s MPs, Mr. Nagamootoo and Ms. Hughes.

The two sides insisted that the no confidence motion should take precedence over all other matters on the parliamentary agenda when the National Assembly re-convenes this month.

The government, they maintained, is bounded by the Constitution to periodically hold local government elections, which were last held in 1994.

Both AFC and APNU declared  their united position on the no confidence motion, and insisted that it is clear and unambiguous, and rebuffed the various sinister attempts of the PPP/C to create confusion over the issue and to divert attention from it.

Both AFC and APNU have assured the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Raphael Trotman, of their support in the execution of his official functions.