PNCR to boycott budget debate
Stabroek News
April 6, 2004
The PNCR will not be participating in this year's budget debate, beginning on April 13, citing past cases of government strong-arm tactics.
Leader Robert Corbin made the announcement yesterday during a forum that the PNCR organised to give its views on the National Budget presented last Monday.
At the forum held in the auditorium of the National Library, Corbin said the PNCR had taken a decision to selectively disengage its participation in the National Assembly, though this non-participation is not restricted to Parliament.
He said that Parliament has become an instrument of execution for decisions that are made by the Cabinet, rather than a forum for ideas to be taken on board for the benefit of the country. Corbin cited cases where bills were rushed through the National Assembly with little or no time for consultation, and few, if any, of the recommendations and proposals being taken on board.
He was responding to Managing Partner of the auditing firm Ram and McRae, Christopher Ram, who implored the party to reconsider its position on the non-participation in the National Assembly. Several members of the audience endorsed Ram's suggestion.
Ram, after giving his own assessment of the budget, had said that the matter of the independent inquiry into the death-squad allegations against Minister of Home Affairs, Ronald Gajraj, should not prevent the party from participating in the debates. "There is no reason why the PNCR can't participate in the debate while supporters protest outside." He said the PNCR's non-participation in the parliamentary debates would serve no one's interest but the government's.
Corbin, in defending the decision, said the government has already presented the budget and there is little that participating in the debates would achieve. In addition, he said the party recognises that Guyana faces serious governance issues. "Government is refusing to take the [governance] issue on board."
Corbin said the government had used and abused the state media in the propagation of the budget and lamented the sparse space allocated to the party by the government television station and other forms of state media.
"If we were to participate in the debates we would only be going through the motions. If the PNCR considers a matter important we would participate. But as for the budget debates, we feel that it would be hypocritical to sit in Parliament and pretend that it is all business as usual. We will not abandon any territory; we will decide which is the best front."