Despite being given the opportunity to submit recommendations and amendments to the motion, members of the parliamentary opposition walked out on the motion that sought to reaffirm the National Assembly’s support for Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
This comes on the heels of a sham electoral process to be held by Venezuela on May 25.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Hon. Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, MP, condemned the action by the opposition and declared that it was an act of political grandstanding.
He noted that in times past, despite disagreements on several policy issues, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) would always publicly support the government on matters related to the border controversy.
“From [that time] to until Aubrey Norton, the honourable member, spoke here this morning, the political parties in Guyana…they were singular, they were cemented, and they were consolidated in their support of Guyana’s territorial integrity,” he posited.
This tradition was now unfortunately decimated when Leader of the Opposition Hon. Aubrey Norton, MP, refused to support the motion and led his members out of the House after his presentation.
“The history of this country will now record unfortunately, that the Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the People’s National Congress has broken that immaculate record on this matter…[three] days before our independence, and two days before Venezuela is scheduled…to hold elections in Guyana’s territory,” he explained.
What was even more surprising, the Attorney General said, was the fact that the opposition was given a chance to make any amendments which they desired to the bill before it was laid in the National Assembly.
“We sent the motion to them nearly one week before it was tabled with an offer for them to co-sign and to make their contributions…but I guess he [Norton] was at Bam Bam Alley attending to matters of greater importance,” the Attorney General noted.
Despite this reality, the Attorney General said the government stands resolutely in its defence of the Essequibo region and will do all that is necessary to ensure that it remains with Guyana.
“I take great comfort in knowing that the world is on our side, our neighbours are on our side, international law is on our side, peace and diplomacy are on our side…the PPP has always been the mature child in this country. We have always fetched them like recalcitrant children on our backs and we are prepared to do it again,” Minister Nandlall asserted.
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