As expected, the anti money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism legislation (AML/CFT) has not been passed in the National Assembly. The months of discourse, debate, committee meetings, efforts to compromise, public statements, even a visit by a CFATF official, have not yielded any positive results. The losers and victims of the failure to […]
Category Archives: Parliament
RESOLVING THE BUDGET CONUNDRUM
The Chief Justice’s decision in the budget case will not necessarily lead to what Opposition Leader, David Granger, said might be a ‘car crash’ or ‘unintended consequences.’ If the Government and Opposition extrapolate from the Chief Justice’s conclusions, a budget can be produced. Stripping away the complexities from the Chief Justice’s analysis, a procedure can […]
WHAT THE CHIEF JUSTICE RULED
The section on Financial Procedures in the Standing Orders of the National Assembly is the same today as it was in 1969. In that year the Standing Orders were amended, no doubt to bring them in line with the provisions of the Independence Constitution of 1966. The Standing Orders had been approved by the same […]
A PETTING ZOO FOR PARLIAMENTARIANS
At Dr. Roger Luncheon’s press conference last week, the approval of funds for the establishment of a petting zoo took only second place to the continuing controversy over the USAID LEAD Programme to which the Government has taken objection. In announcing Government’s no objection to the expenditure of $32.5 million for the petting zoo, Dr. […]
NO STATESMANLIKE DISCOURSE IS HEARD ABOVE THE DIN
President Ramotar has announced his intention to re-examine the Government’s future relationship with the Opposition after its refusal to support the anti money laundering amendment bill last Thursday in the National Assembly. It is believed that the intention of the President is to further reduce the already limited contact between the two. But the reason […]