Trotman commits to convening meetings with MPs
MEMBERS of Parliament (MPs) will continue to meet in the National Assembly’s Chambers, according to House Speaker Raphael Trotman. He yesterday explained that these meetings are a means of addressing current and topical issues of national concern.
Trotman’s comments follow President Donald Ramotar’s move to prorogue the Sitting of the National Assembly, via a Proclamation issued yesterday, which is constitutionally provided for.
Prorogation of a Parliament results in the termination of a National Assembly session. Parliament then stands prorogued until the opening of the next session. The period of prorogation can last up to six months.
Trotman, despite the prorogation order, met with MPs from the combined Opposition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC), in Chambers yesterday.
The meeting commenced at 2:00pm, the scheduled time for the Sitting that was expected to have been held yesterday.
Also at the meeting was Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Sherlock Isaacs, and other officials from the Parliament Office.
There, the Speaker decried the prorogation order as unfortunate and stated that it is compounded by the fact that no date has been set to bring an end to the prorogation order.
“The National Assembly stands ready, willing and able to discharge its mandate,” Trotman stressed.