Reply to "IF LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS WERE HELD SOON: THE APNU/AFC WILL LOSE MISERABLY"

PPP/Civic Chief Whip Gail Teixeira

…Granger’s Opposition office should be audited – PPP

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has accused the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government of what it said were “double standards” in its move towards transparency and accountability as far as State assets were concerned.

The PPP made the statement in light of the Government’s inability to hand over State assets to furnish the Office of the Opposition Leader, which has stymied the work of Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.

The situation seems to be getting out of control, the PPP/C said, as the Party has already identified its office and has been awaiting the furnishings to get on with its work.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon

Party members on Monday said Government has not been able to hand over the furnishings it utilised while it was in the Opposition, so that the now Opposition could move ahead with its work.

PPP/Civic Chief Whip Gail Teixeira, who was assigned by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo to follow up the matter, told the press that some five months after the elections and several smooth transitions, the Party could not move forward in this regard.

The PPP/C, she said, was prepared on Saturday last to begin removing the furnishing from the office, which was occupied by President David Granger on Hadfield Street, but was informed by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon that Government was not ready to allow this.

“This is a serious constitutional issue. We have our building; we are ready to move. And that is why we say that there are threats to the parliamentary democracy of our country. We make no bones about it. The threat is not only in the parliamentary committee, it now comes into the realm of what is constitutionally required implementation,” Teixeira said.

Among the assets still to be handed over to the Opposition, Teixeira related, are 13 laptops.

In enquiring about these, the Chief Whip said she was told that APNU could not hand over the laptops to the PPP since “personal files” were still on the computers.

Teixeira reminded that the Office of the Opposition was constitutionally accommodated and there were provisions in the law, which allowed for its full functioning.

Limited

According to her, the budget for the Office as it stands now is very limited and will be unable to provide any additional burden by way of purchasing the same assets again.

“The budget for the Office of the Opposition Leader was less than $15 million. I was advised by Parliament Office that there is $10 million left. From $10 million, one pays for the rent, one pays for the staff and electricity, so that the number of staff is also stipulated.”

She said former President Jagdeo has already indicated that he would not be accepting the salary of the Leader of the Opposition and so the only money the Office of the Opposition has was that $10 million that has been budgeted.

Asked if the Party would prefer receiving new items in lieu of what were currently with Government, Teixeira said taxpayers monies were given to the “Leader of the Opposition Office” via the Budget. She said the Parliament Office would usually purchase these items under the capital budget.

“If you’re telling me that out of that $10 million, we make a choice. Do we buy equipment or we pay people or we do not pay the rent. My point is point of principle and financial regulation.” Five months, she added, is too long for this transaction not to have been completed.

More than that, she stressed that Government must also be held accountable, particularly because it has been carrying out the State Asset Recovery Programme.

Teixeira lamented that if the Party did not get down to furnishing the building, it would have to be given up. The Office is located on Church Street where the Suriname Embassy was. “ We have a contract. Within the parliamentary confines as what is stipulated as rent for the building, we don’t have an open ended arrangement, Parliament budget defines that. The building cannot be occupied unless we have the assets that were purchased for the building.

“It was entered into the assets register of the Parliament Office, marked for the Office of the Opposition and handed over to the Opposition Leader at Hadfield Street,” Teixeira said of the assets. She said the Party had been advised against fighting over those assets, but as things are, there is a budget that is limited in Parliament.

“This has never happened before; we have never experienced this before,” Teixeira continued

In June, after taking up office, the present Administration set up a unit to go after missing State assets. Minister Harmon had noted that the unit would be a multi-agency one, independent and free from political intervention.