PPP hopeful for early prosecution of technocrat parliamentarians

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) said it was anxiously awaiting its day in court against the two Government technocrat members sitting illegally in the National Assembly.winston-felix

The Party’s General Secretary, Clement Rohee on Monday said the resolution of the legal disputes in relation to the composition of Parliament was central to democracy and a matter of paramount national importance.

Rohee, who was at the time speaking at the Party’s weekly press conference at Freedom House, Robb Street, Georgetown, noted that the PPP welcomed the recent move by the Court of Appeal to have the case involving technocrat members Citizenship Minister Winston Felix and Minister within the Social Protection Ministry, Keith Scott heard.keith-scott-2

“The Party notes that an early date is now fixed for the hearing of the appeal filed by the Attorney General. The PPP anxiously awaits this date. It is our hope that the AG will not delay and stall this matter further as has been his strategy in relation to all political cases filed by us since May 2015,” Rohee said.

The matter involving the two Government Ministers came up for hearing on November 4 last, at which point Chancellor of the Judiciary, Carl Singh ordered that “immediate steps be taken towards the settling and preparation of the record of appeal”.

The obligation to settle and prepare the record of appeal is on the appellant: Attorney General Basil Williams.

Then acting Chief Justice Ian Chang in the High Court proceedings had ruled that the two MPs were unlawfully and unconstitutionally occupying seats in the National Assembly.

PPP executive Anil Nandlall said he had implored the Court to fix an early date for the hearing of the appeal since it concerned a matter of national importance.

PPP member Desmond Morian had moved to the court seeking to bar the Government Ministers from sitting in the National Assembly unless their names were extracted from their coalition’s list.

Felix, the Citizenship Minister and Scott, Minister with responsibility for labour, are sitting in the National Assembly as technocratic members of the Assembly.

Chief Justice (ag) Chang had handed down the decision during his pre-retirement and had declared that Felix and Scott, by virtue of their status as elected members of the National Assembly, cannot sit in Parliament as Technocrat Ministers.

Meanwhile, Rohee said the Party repeated its concerns regarding the delay of the hearing of the election petition filed concerning the May 2015 General and Regional Elections. He said the latest bout of delay is being caused by the Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield. He said the CEO’s role was an impartial one as prescribed by the Constitution.

“In total disregard, he has filed proceedings to strike out the elections petition and even after his challenge was dismissed… filed an appeal to this. All of these things cause major setbacks to the hearing of the election petition. This is clearly a travesty,” Rohee said.