– announces training for MPs

By Danielle Campbelle-Lowe

Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman said that he is not at all bothered by perceptions that his rulings are being considered biased with a leaning towards the opposition camp.
At a press conference held at Parliament’s Committee Room Two on Thursday, Trotman said he has noted the apprehension of certain sections of society ever since his appointment to the speakership.
Responding to comments made by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, hinting pessimism about Trotman’s likelihood of ruling in favour of government, the Speaker said he and his colleagues shared the very same cynicism during his tenure as a parliamentarian when Ralph Ramkarran held the speakership.

Speaker of the House Raphael Trotman

“Regardless of whether you served with distinction and fairness, people will always think that you are on the other side, and I have attracted the criticism of both members of government as well as members of the opposition since my appointment. I have also received applause from both sides,” the Speaker said.
Trotman pointed out that he has avoided personalising the criticisms, but commented that government may be a bit too uncomfortable, now that the “shoe is on the other side of the foot”.
Since his appointment, Trotman has been working to implement some of the plans which he has articulated for the Parliament’s Office, including altering the image of the National Assembly and promoting greater awareness of the functions of Parliament.
Trotman announced that the familiarisation of Members of Parliament with parliamentary practice and procedure is likely to be an ongoing process. He disclosed that the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will be conducting a two-day seminar for Members of Parliament on May 21 and 22 at the Savannah Suite, Pegasus Hotel.
Among the topics for discussion on day one is the relationship between the executive, legislative and judiciary branches of government; understanding collaborative leadership and leadership for the national development; and bridge building and the role of parliamentarians.
On day two, the seminar will focus on majority/minority governance, parliamentary committees and financial scrutiny of economic services, public accounts and estimates.
“Prior to this seminar, an opening ceremony will be held at De Impeccable Banquet Hall on May 20, 2012 at 19:00h. We are also hoping to include the media not only for coverage but as participants as well since I believe that the media is a critical element in civil society, and should be involved,” Trotman said.
The objective is to introduce new parliamentarians to the operations of the National Assembly, and more specifically to have them exposed and become familiar with techniques for bridge building, partnership and collaborative development.
“The seminar will be held under the theme “Managing through Partnership”, and is expected to be attended by all Members of Parliament and staff of the Parliament Office. It will be facilitated by members from the United Nations Development Programme Head Office in the U.S. and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.”
Trotman explained that the seminar comes at a point immediately following the passage of the 2012 budget, and is designed to provide members with a detailed knowledge and understanding of the processes and procedures of the uniquely configured Parliament.
In January, Trotman engaged several members of the media fraternity, and expressed his intention to develop a stronger rapport with journalists through regular meetings.
Media operatives were provided with a tour of the chambers of the National Assembly and also discussed several ways in which relations with the Parliament Office could be improved.
Also discussed were the services that are available to the public, including the usage of the Parliament library.  Trotman has also pledged to improve relations between his office and the public.

Government workers, Amerindians and other citizens staged picketing actions outside of Parliament and the in front of the Opposition Leader’s Office demanding that the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) reverse the recent cuts to the 2012 National Budget.

Amerindian leaders and other workers protesting the recent budget cuts

Workers represented by the Guyana Labour Union (GLU) and the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), and those from the Office of the President (OP), the National Communications Network (NCN), the Government Information Agency (GINA), the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) programme and Amerindians from several parts of the country turned out to let their voices be heard. The budget cuts will leave hundreds of workers jobless and several projects in Amerindian communities stymied.
They all called on the leaders of the AFC and the APNU to ensure that financing is returned to guarantee the continuity of several projects. During the April 26 sitting of the National Assembly, a motion was carried for several agencies’ subventions to be reduced to $1. Among the agencies to be affected are NCN, GINA, the OLPF, the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU), the State Planning Secretariat and the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC). The $6 billion subsidy to the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) was also cut.
GPL Public Relations Manager Shevionne Murray in an invited comment noted that without the subvention, GPL would be unable to source fuel, hence, the unavailability to generate money for reliable cost of electricity which will likely, in the long-run result in increased tariff and frequent power outages.
“We need the money and it is imperative that we get the $1billion or an additional subvention, because if we don’t, it will definitely affect the operations of the company,” she said.

Budget Cuts! Amerindians joined by sugar workers and other citizens picket the opposition's recent chopping of the National Budget near Parliament Building

Since the cuts were made, workers have been voicing their concern, noting that their future is dim. GLU President Carvil Duncan while expressing his dissatisfaction over the move, recommitted to the pledge that he made on Labour Day to stand behind the affected workers. He said the union will continue to fight for the working class because they are the ones who stand to suffer from the act.
Amerindians are to significantly be affected as well, as it will hamper major developmental projects which seek to boost their livelihoods and improve their living standards. Among the projects to be affected are hinterland electrification under which 11,000 homes were slated to receive solar home systems, the Amerindian Development Fund, credit from small businesses, the National Secure Livelihood Programme, cheaper electricity through the Amaila Falls Hydro Project and titling and demarcation of their lands.
Toshao of Dog Point, Helen Thomas condemned the action of the opposition, saying that it will hurt development in the hinterland.
“I feel so bad and hurt about what has happened because they cut most things from the Amerindians. Why did they do this to us? We are the people who they found in this country… we did not come here by mistake or because we were slaves. We are the people that belong to this land and this country, and we need back our rights,” Thomas demanded. She stated that the budget cut would mean stagnating development, and that it is disastrous, and as such, encouraged all Amerindians to condemn the actions.
Another Amerindian, Joan Green said, “Guyana is on the move; Guyana is on the horizon; our former president has put Guyana on the world map and Granger…  he comes to take us off the world map but, we protesting because Guyana will always have to rise and shine. We need our laptops, we need development; the Amerindians are the first set of people and they must respect the Amerindians, the Amerindians will not support the cut and that’s why we are here today.”

– writes Speaker on issue ahead of sitting

By Ariana Gordon

Government on Wednesday lambasted the parliamentary opposition parties the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) for tabling motions before the National Assembly on a number of identified issues ranging from the production of public records to the House to amendments to the Presidents’ Pension Act.

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds

At a media briefing hosted by the leader of the House, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds at the National Communications Network (NCN), government said that the motions presented to the House and placed on the 20th Order Paper for consideration today lack merit and reflect pure vindictiveness. Hinds said that the motions were prepared “hurriedly and prematurely” to say the least.
According to Hinds, who was backed up by Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall and Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, he has attempted to restrain himself noting that they are nine “abominable motions”.  Hinds described the motions presented by APNU’s Carl Greenidge and Khemraj Ramjattan of the AFC as frivolous.
In one motion, Greenidge called for information from the Hansard dating back to 1985 to 1992 be produced to the House within two months of notice of the motion being published. However, Hinds said that during that period records were “ill-kept” and there “was not the funding to have the records kept”, so he could not decipher the rationale behind placing the motion before the House.
“I don’t know if Mr Greenidge has some information which he is concealing and wants to dramatically reveal or it’s just an attempt to refer some of the very incisive criticisms that the minister of finance had made about his period of tenure as minister of finance,” Hinds stated.
There are three motions that seek to provide a number of agencies with independence: the courts, the service commissions and the Office of the Auditor General. Hinds said there is much uncertainty about what the opposition intends to achieve. He said should the aforementioned be what the opposition is calling for, it speaks to great irresponsibility. As it relates to the former presidents’ pensions and benefits, the prime minister said the motivation for the motion is indeed pointing to “a great quantity of plain spitefulness and vindictiveness”. He said the fact that the motion called for steps to be taken immediately to repeal the act suggests the opposition is implying that the former president should live without any pension or benefits until such time that a new act is in place.

Information already in public domain
Meanwhile, on the issue of national assets and the disclosure of government of all reports and financial information on the disposal by sale of land et cetera by NICIL Hinds said the opposition has acted as if unaware that information being requested is already in the public domain, in one form or another. As it relates to the independence of the National Assembly, the prime minister noted that government will maintain its position that “it is not timely yet to take some of those steps” as outlined by the mover of the motion.

Legal Affairs Minister and AG Anil Nandlall

Meanwhile, the opposition has also called for citizens to enjoy their right to assemble, but the prime minister said while government would like to have a situation where there would be no barriers surrounding Parliament Building, “when you are in government you are responsible for the running of things… and take prudent steps”.
According to the prime minister, the bringing of the nine motions before the National Assembly “takes up the Parliament’s time” when the time could have been used to work towards the growth and development of the country.
“… we have to become engaged in these other battles which hardly contribute to the growth and development and improvement of our economy and well-being.”
Backing up the prime minister was Attorney General Nandlall, who said the motions demonstrate clearly that there is a lack of understanding and a lack of appreciation of parliamentary procedures. “They include a lack of appreciation and knowledge of the existing process and mechanisms in relation to many of the issues that are raised in these motions.”
Nandlall said the procedure adopted by Greenidge in particular is one that “is wrong and misconceived” as the motions are not contemplated by the rules of Parliament.

Legality of legislation
“Some of them seek to challenge the legality of legislation, now the laws of our country provide clearly the procedure by which you can challenge the legality and constitutionality of legislation and it is by filing actions in the High Court to set those legislation aside or the sections of those legislations that you are contending are illegal or unconstitutional. We have imbued in our courts the power of judicial review and the judiciary is the arm or branch of government which is resided with the responsibility to deal with those matters,” the legal affairs minister stated.
He emphasised that Parliament cannot review its own legislation as that move was “not contemplated by the Constitution… it is patently wrong”.
“They seek to elicit information. We have standard parliamentary procedures to which information is elicited from the government or from ministers and how they are provided. The standing order provides for that, they are done by way of questioning by writing or orally and that is provided…” He added that all the bodies under review by the opposition are statutory bodies and are audited by the Auditor General with their accounts presented to the Public Accounts Commission (PAC) and annual financial statements are brought to Parliament by the subject minister.

Carl Greenidge

“To come by way of a motion in this way in which these motions are crafted, to seek to elicit information that are available, is simply duplicitous and wrong.” He said the motions are technically flawed. Speaking on the presidents’ pension and benefits issue, Nandlall said Greenidge ought to have known that a colleague member of Parliament from the APNU, Desmond Trotman has filled a constitutional action through his attorney Christopher Ram where the constitutionality of the legislation was challenged.
“That procedure has been employed and the case is pending before the constitutional division of the High Court. The standing orders clearly say that one is prohibited from making reference in any debate to a matter… it is inviting a full-blown debate on a matter that is directly before the court; this motion is a clear and palpable violation of the requisite standing orders.”
He said he has written to the Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman outlining his argument in an attempt to persuade Trotman not to proceed, or allow the debate to proceed until the hearing and determination of the action filed.
“Constitution contains several mechanisms, several protective provisions which cumulatively have the effect with imbuing the judiciary with independence, an independent judiciary is an important pillar of our democracy, important aspect of our civility and independence is guaranteed to the people of this country in the very Constitution,” Nandlall stated.
“I as AG perceive this to be a colossal attack on the integrity of our judiciary and all the officers of our judiciary. It is reckless to make a statement like this when not one scintilla of evidence is produced in this motion to show how, is the independence of judiciary compromised because it is a budget agency.”

Bald unsupported allegations
According to him, the allegations made by the opposition are “bald unsupported allegations”. Similarly, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh stated the nature of the vehicle used by Greenidge to put the motions before the Parliament was not accurate. He said the opposition is seeking to garner information while seeking to direct certain actions, some to be taken and some already taken.
He said some of the entities targeted by the opposition are already operating under specific legislation and if the opposition is not pleased with the manner in which those entities are being managed, then it has to seek to amend the legislation.
He accused the opposition of political grandstanding, given that most, if not all, of the information requested by the opposition is already in the public domain.
“It is extremely unfortunate that the opposition should chose to proceed with some of these motions, given that some of these matters were actually the subject of discussion between the government and opposition during the course of consideration of the 2012 budget.
I thought that we agreed that some of these matters would be studied further and if found appropriate, be referred to the appropriate committee of Parliament and in fact, the Parliament committee on constitutional reform was identified as the appropriate place for these matters to be considered.”
Dr Singh said he is “surprised and astonished” that following the aforementioned discussions, the opposition took that route. “I am, perhaps, a little bit still hopeful there is yet time – I am hopeful that the wisdom of putting these motions on hold so that that process which is agreed to can be followed. I am still hopeful that could be done.”

– party executive to probe allegations

BY MICHAEL YOUNGE

Alliance For Change (AFC) Councillor for Region Six Haseef Yusuf has urged the National Executive Council of his party to move quickly to address the allegations  of corruption he has brought against Veerasammy Ramayya.
Yusuf has alleged that after the November elections, the three AFC groups in Berbice had to submit their financial reports on campaign activities to the party’s head office with the necessary supporting documents, a criterion that Ramayya, an AFC Parliamentarian, could not satisfy.

AFC parliamentarian Veerasammy Ramayya

“However, the Whim group headed by Ramayya failed to do so. He submitted a financial report without supporting documents and he furthermore made a ludicrous claim… that he spent $4.5 million from his pocket, and that the party should reimburse him,” Yusuf said in a letter in today’s Guyana Times. The regional councillor is arguing that Ramayya did not receive the requisite approval from the campaign manager to spend in excess of the funds that was given to him through the party, and failed to provide accounts in a paper trail, or receipts for the monies he claimed he spent.
“On February 1 this year, he convened a meeting at his Whim office where 51 members were present. At this meeting, he emphasised that the party owed him $4.5 million and he tried to solicit funds through donations and fundraising activities in order to recoup his claim of $4.5 million owed to him. He then convened an election to form a regional management committee and to establish an AFC office at his office at Whim. One of the functions of this committee would be fundraising through which he would get his money back,” the councillor alleged.
Yusuf said that he was the chairman of the committee, but resisted all attempts allegedly made by the parliamentarian to get him and members of the committee to use funds raised to reimburse him.
“This irked him,” he said, while also disclosing that attempts were made by Ramayya to suggest a young woman who should be employed as staff in the new AFC office at Whim, Region Six.
“I strongly objected to this sort of cronyism and suggested that applications be invited so that there is fairness and transparency and that the most suitable person be selected. Can you imagine a fledgling party behaving in this undemocratic manner? Suddenly, I became this MP’s number one enemy; but I can live with that,” he said in the revealing letter.
Attempts to get the national committee of the party to deal with the matter proved futile, according to the regional councillor as he emailed party Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan at least three times to have the matter resolved internally.  “Where is the accountability within the AFC, Where is the transparency in the electoral process, Isn’t there cronyism within the AFC; afraid of another defection if you drop the hammer,” he asked Ramjattan as he concluded that he doubts “whether Mr Ramjattan has the courage to act decisively in these matters since… he said that he was too busy and that the general secretary will deal with these matters”.
But Ramayya has sharply debunked the charges made on his character and credibility as an AFC parliamentarian and a representative of the people in Berbice. He said that he did spend approximately $4.5 million of his own monies on the campaign “as the AFC did not give a lot of monies for the Berbice campaign”.  Speaking with Guyana Times on Wednesday afternoon, Dr Ramayya said that “everyone in the AFC executive knows that he spent a lot of his monies and are not denying this”. However, he admitted that he did not have the requisite bills and receipts in order.
“When you go to the market to buy boulanger, do you get a receipt, when you go to buy chicken, fish or celery, do you get a receipt?,” he quizzed as he explained that most of the monies were spent on providing three square meals for supporters and staff in the field. At one time, he said 30 persons and at another point he said 40 persons during the interview. He alleged that these persons were also paid $1000 dollars a day, while explaining that he had countless TV shows in the lead-up to the November polls.
“… had I known Yusuf was selected as councillor, I would have never agreed,” he said, alleging that in his opinion; the man was unfit for the position because of his alleged reputation and track record. Asked why the AFC would still make him a councillor, Dr Ramayya said, “I am only one person and I can’t speak for everyone.”
He said Yusuf is “bitter” and “power drunk”, stating that he was preparing to file a lawsuit against him. Ramayya contended that he laboured and did what he had to do to ensure that the AFC becomes victorious at the polls, and he has received his requisite reward as he is now an honourable parliamentarian. He also denied trying to influence the committee to raise monies through fundraisers so that he could be reimbursed. “That’s ridiculous,” he said, dismissing the allegation.

No hurt
Ramjattan denied rumours that the squabble between the two top figures was hurting the image of the party and would affect the party’s support base in Region Six.
“The national executive would be speaking to both the complainant and the accused, and we will have the grievances resolved… we will not attempt to cover anything up because we are aware that there will be dissenting views in any democracy,” he said.
Ramjattan pointed out that “things of this nature happen everyday in political organisations,” making reference to the Peoples’ National Congress Reform. He said while he would have preferred the matter to be resolved internally, he is not upset that Yusuf went public, because it is his democratic right.  The AFC chairman said that the executive will now get to the bottom of the conflict between the two warring members, and will decide on the way forward. He admitted that executive members spent a lot of their own money on the campaign trail, including Catherine Hughes, Nigel Hughes, Moses Nagamootoo and himself.
“Everybody spent a lot… but you should ask Yusuf how much he spent,” Ramjattan said, stating that a decision will be made on reimbursements on the basis of accountability and transparency.   He did admit that he was too busy with the budget and Parliament to flesh out these issues internally, but committed the party’s general secretary to look into the matter.

President Donald Ramotar on Monday dismissed the opposition’s concerns over the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) holding state funds which according to them ought to be placed into the national coffers.
Speaking to the press at the Office of the President, the president said, “Well, I have heard the arguments and I am not convinced, as far as I am aware… I am not doing anything illegal, and we are not doing anything illegal as far as that is concerned”.

President Donald Ramotar

According to the president, NICIL’s main accounts have been audited, and as such, there should be no concern on the part of the opposition. Ramotar noted that the Privatisation Unit has been audited up to 2010, and is “fairly up to date”. However, NICIL’s accounts have not been tabled before the House because some of the enterprises belonging therein are yet to be audited. “Some of them had to be privatised and many of them would have had litigation and other problems that’s why some of them have not been completed, but the main area that you are talking about has been audited.”
The president said the public is being misguided on the issue, stressing that no money held by NICIL has been “misappropriated”. Asked why all of the money has not been placed into the Consolidated Fund, President Ramotar said there is no need for government to place its money there.
“Because we don’t have to do that… Because the law allows NICIL to keep that money,” he told the media.  The parliamentary opposition parties have been demanding that government puts all finances acquired by NICIL into the Consolidated Fund.
AFC’s Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan recently claimed that the action of the government has resulted in “a situation where the elected representatives of the people cannot monitor or even question how the money is being used”.
Asked what evidence is available to substantiate this claim, Ramjattan said “there is supporting documentation which will be revealed by one of our advisors”. According to him, NICIL has acquired lots of money from the sale of lands and other assets, and over the years, the money acquired through such transactions must have amounted to billions of dollars. The last NICIL report tabled in the National Assembly dates back to 2003 and it is in that report that NICIL’s revenues amounted to some $30 billion.  Similarly, another AFC executive Moses Nagamootoo said government has not denied that there is “a lot of public funds held by NICIL”.
Nagamootoo wants NICIL’s Chairman Dr Ashni Singh to “give a full account of the transactions of NICIL, every divestment, every property sold, to whom and for how much”.

Economic Services Committee
That aside, Ramjattan noted that the parliamentary opposition is currently in the process of establishing the Economic Services Committee in light of the acting chief justice’s ruling on the composition of the Committee of Selection recently.

AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan

“We will now have to make a further amendment to the Standing Orders; right now the Standing Order has that the Economic Services Committee must have four members from the government side and three members from the opposition. There is a motion… to configure that, that the opposition will have four members, and government three members: three to government; three APNU and one AFC.”
The first task, he assured would be to have NICIL investigated under the Economic Services Committee.
“We are going to order that papers and documents and even the minister of finance to come and answer questions.” This approach, he said he believes would be supported by the APNU. The APNU had said it would move to the courts to compel NICIL to have the money placed in the Consolidated Fund.

President Donald Ramotar said the holding of public meetings across the country by the ruling administration is in no way geared at mobilising support in the event of snap elections. Ramotar was at the time responding to questions posed by Guyana Times on the issue.
The People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) as of late has been holding public meetings across the country following the 2012 budget cuts. But according to the president those meetings are aimed at informing the public about the budget cuts and nothing else.

President Donald Ramotar (R) greets Opposition Leader, David Granger at the Office of the President on Monday (Carl Croker photo)

“I don’t think that is confined to us as far as I see, a lot of political parties are out there having public meetings, but I think it is important to give people information.” President Ramotar described the meetings as “an information giving set of meetings” to ensure that its support base and moreover all Guyanese understand that the budget cuts would affect some of the party’s promises during the 2011 campaign season.
“…Because people would have, of course, expectations of us after the budget and the cuts would have been affecting some of those promises and so forth and some of the intent expectations that we would have had in delivering would have been cut in that regard,” the president told Guyana Times.
The public meetings hosted by the PPP will focus on informing those along the coastland about the budget and its cuts. Teams of government and party leaders have commenced outreaches in Regions Seven, Eight, Nine and One respectively.  One-hundred and thirty community meetings have been scheduled across the country. The purpose of those meetings the PPP in a statement last week said “is to discuss the impact of the AFC/APNU budget cuts as well as update the general public on the PPP/C government position and response as we seek to maintain the development momentum in Guyana.”
Similarly,  the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) commenced its public meetings on May 2, 2012 with meetings held in Guyhoc Park, Albouystown, Lodge, Charlestown, and Alberttown. Other meetings are scheduled for Newtown, Kitty, Sophia, and Campbellville.

Public Management Consultant Sandra Valerie Jones was on Monday sworn in as a replacement commissioner to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) following the death of former Commissioner Robert Williams.
Jones’ appointment as commissioner was defended wholeheartedly by Opposition Leader David Granger who responded to critics who suggested that he was fulfilling a promise to Jones by selecting her. Jones joins commissioners Vincent Alexander, Dr Keshav Mangal, Jaya Manickchand, Charles Corbin, and Mohamood Shaw. The management consultant who has 25 years’ experience both locally and further afield took the oath of commissioner of GECOM in the presence of President Donald Ramotar; GECOM Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally; Chief Elections Officer Gocool Boodhoo, Commissioners Manickchand and Corbin, and relatives and friends in the credentials room of the Office of the President.

President Donald Ramotar presents to new GECOM Commissioner Sandra Jones, her instrument of appointment

The new GECOM commissioner said she is honoured to be charged with the responsibility of commissioner and swore to “do the best” she can for the country.
Meanwhile, President Ramotar in congratulating Jones charged her to take her job seriously as it is a very important post that carries important responsibilities.
“I am happy that the elections commission now has a full complement and… the whole commission is now totally constituted and I hope that they would meet very often and continue the work that they have been doing because I think that it is one of the most important institutions in our country; and you are sitting in a very important position there to carry out tasks for Guyana. In my view, it is the very foundation for the development of our country, politically, economically – very vital job, wish you all the best; it is a big responsibility, but I trust that you carry on with it,” the president told Jones.
The selection of Jones as the new GECOM commissioner did not find favour with the Alliance For Change (AFC). That party’s chairman, Khemraj Ramjattan had indicated that the party was disappointed by the manner in which Jones was selected, noting that her name was not put to the fore during consultations with the leader of the opposition. The AFC had nominated David Patterson for the post.
It was said that Jones played a “critical role” in the People’s National Congress’ primaries held last year that saw Granger being elected in a close race as the party’s presidential candidate. Granger nipped former finance minister under the PNC, Carl Greenidge by a mere 15 votes.
Granger maintained that there was no underhand work to select Jones, noting that his choice of the consultant was based on “merit, pure merit”. He told Guyana Times following the swearing-in ceremony at the Office of the President that he is aware of the allegations being levelled against him and defended his choice.
“Mr  Ramjattan, in a former consultation, he advanced one name, that is David Patterson, I also have an obligation to consult the partners in APNU, there are 10 partners as you know and I had sent messages to all of them asking them to make nominations. Other nominees came in and I don’t want to be invidious by calling their names but in my considered opinion, and in my judgement, Ms Jones was really the best qualified.”
Granger continued: “I didn’t promise her anything. In fact, there was a wide range of nominees from all of our partners and it wasn’t a deal, there was no promise.”
In a bid to provide clarity on APNU’s consultations with the AFC, Granger added that he has been in talks with that party since December 2011, and noted that it is through collaboration that the Speaker was selected.
He said thus far, there have only been two “real vacancies” that have arisen, noting that the AFC cannot get all that it wants.  “For the year, two real vacancies have come up, one is the Speaker of the National Assembly and the second is Commissioner GECOM. Does the AFC want both?” he asked.
“The only reason that the leader of the AFC, Raphael Trotman could have been elected Speaker of the National Assembly is with the support of APNU. He was a nominee, there were other nominees at first and he was the final nominee of the AFC and our nominee was not selected… he had to have won with the support of the APNU.”
Asked whether he can justify the move to have the vacancy filled at GECOM in light of consultation still to be had on reforms, Granger said he felt the need to have the position filled as “we need to have a full commission to work”.