THE round of talks between President Bharrat Jagdeo and Leader of the Opposition Robert Corbin for 2004 will feature the depoliticisation of the public service and consider the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) paper on inclusive governance presented in 2003.
During a communiqué update at his post-Cabinet Media briefing Friday, Cabinet Secretary and President Jagdeo’s high representative in the process Dr. Roger Luncheon outlined some of the items on the agenda for discussion.
He noted that new issues were included in the ambit of the Constructive Engagement process including the dissolution of the Linden Town Council.
“The focus of course now is on the resort to the monitoring mechanism to provide Guyanese and the stakeholders with greater openings and opportunity to make contributions to the implementation of agreements under the Constructive Engagement Process,” Dr. Luncheon said.
Also under focus would be the regular meetings between the President and Opposition Leader.
“The issues put before them according to the agreements are the PPP/C paper on inclusive governance, the depoliticisation of the public service, legislation to address ‘crossing-the-floor’ and legislation to address a permanent Elections Commission.
At its last session, Cabinet reviewed the progress of the Communiqué’s implementation and noted that the two parties - Government and the People’s National Congress Reform - have worked very hard to implement the agreements, as well as to restore public confidence in the process.
Cabinet also recognised the enormous role Parliament is playing in the process and its heightened work-load of the decision-making body.
The Cabinet Secretary also noted that even though the Pubic Building is currently being renovated, it “is now the home of a radically reformed Parliament. The executive Parliament as it is now known, has assumed with much vigour, its new duties, responsibilities and obligations.
During 2003, particularly in the last two quarters, Parliament has been dealing with the appointment of Constitutional post-holders and the Constitutional bodies with the new job of the oversight of the executive and its standard and very customary job of enacting legislation under its new dispensations,” Dr. Luncheon noted.