First sitting of 12th Parliament set for Tuesday

The first sitting of the 12th Parliament has been officially scheduled for Tuesday, September 1 at 10:00 am.

President Irfaan Ali in fulfilment of the powers conferred upon him by Article 69 ( 1) of the Constitution of Guyana, has issued Proclamation Number 1 of 2020 declaring the date for the sitting of the 12th Parliament.

Article 69(1) provides that each session of Parliament shall be held at such place within Guyana and shall begin at such time… as the President shall appoint by proclamation. Normally the first sitting of a new parliament is according to law four months from its dissolution but the results of the 2020 elections were not declared until five months after the polls.

A national recount and a series of court cases had delayed the process, the results of which have not been accepted by the APNU+ AFC coalition. The coalition has indicated via a Facebook post that an election petition challenging the results will be filed in the High Court on Monday August 31.

Joseph Harmon who the party identifies as “presumptive leader of the opposition” has already written to several international agencies and foreign governments claiming that the current administration was illegally installed.

The APNU+AFC Coalition, he stated, believes, and intends to prove, that the elections held on March 2 lacked credibility and legitimacy.

Meanwhile, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ali has designated the Arthur Chung Conference Centre ( ACCC) as the place where the session will be held.

This venue shall according to the proclamation remain the location for sittings until advice is received from the Minister of Health that the safety measures including social distancing, with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic are no longer necessary. At this point, sittings will be held in the Chamber of the Public Buildings.

Ali’s proclamation reminded that the 11th Parliament was dissolved via a Proclamation dated December 27, 2019 issued under Article 70 (2) of the Constitution.

The 12th Parliament will be the first in Guyana’s history to facilitate virtual participation.

According to Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs this is one of the measures being put in place by Parliament Office to ensure all stakeholders are safe during the pandemic.

“We are working closely with the COVID-19 centre… we are observing social distancing guidelines, for example members will be seated with a distance of at least three feet between them. One seat between will remain unoccupied between members,” he shared.

Isaacs added that a firm has already been contracted to fumigate the centre on Monday while a schedule for cleaning and sanitizing has been established.

“There will be wiping and spraying in the morning, at 12 pm and at 4 pm,” he explained.

Arrangements are also to be put in place for media operatives who wish to attend the sitting.