PNCR to return to Parliament...
-but only to elect opposition leader
Stabroek News
January 22, 2003
The PNCR’s chief whip, Lance Carberry, has asked the Speaker of the National Assembly to arrange a meeting of the parliamentary opposition to elect a new Leader of the Opposition.
The office of Leader of the Opposition fell vacant as a result of the death on December 22, of PNCR leader Desmond Hoyte.
As a result of the amendment to the constitution, the opposition members of the National Assembly elect the Leader of the Opposition. Hoyte was the first person to be elected Leader of the Opposition under the new arrangement.
The amendments stripped the President of the power to appoint the Leader of the Opposition, whose designation was changed from Minority Leader.
But Carberry scotched any idea of the move signalling a departure from the PNCR boycott of the National Assembly, which it began last April. He explained that an end of the boycott is dependent on the government implementing the decisions of the Jagdeo/Hoyte dialogue process and agreement between the government and the opposition parties on the composition of the parliamentary management committee as well as the parliamentary sector committees, established as a result of the amendments to the constitution.
Other sources have confirmed that the meeting is not an indication of any move to end the boycott of the parliament. But they say the boycott decision is likely to be discussed at the February 1 special delegates congress being convened to elect a new leader of the PNCR.
