Last updated on Wednesday, 23 December 2020, 19:55 by Denis Chabrol
Ganesh Mahipaul
Opposition A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU + AFC) on Wednesday justified its decision to attend a National Assembly sitting of a room at the Arthur Chung Conference Center, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown because several government senators have that violates COVID-19 Measures.
The legislator, Ganesh Mahipaul said he and his colleagues feared being in the Center dome with government ministers who are pictured at a housing land distribution and Christmas Tree lighting events. “I’m happy, Sir, that this virtual mechanism is in place for us because we, and I can tell you, are afraid to sit in that dome with those members because they are the ones who n mourning nationwide and we do not know if they are COVID positive or not; we do not know if they are asymmetric; we do not know that. We are afraid of Sir, ”he said while contributing to a debate on a government-sponsored proposal on the COVID-19 virus.
Following clearly passionate concerns from the Minister for Governance and Parliamentary Affairs Gail Teixeira that opposition parliamentarians are taking up more or less room in the Center, House Speaker Manzoor Nadir decided earlier on Wednesday that, should this happen again, the they would be barred from participating in the sittings.
Mr Mahipaul said that APNU + AFC had chosen to participate in the case virtually from a room at the Arthur Chung Conference Center because of good Internet access and at the same time to collect relevant documents in circulation. “More so, I’m happy to tell you that we’re here as a team of COVID-19 negative people,” he said.
The opposition MP accused the government of holding Christmas parties, lighting a Christmas tree, delivering gifts and distributing many houses without regard to wearing masks and adhering to rules of social distance at least six feet apart. “You need to practice what you preach,” he said.
Mr Mahipaul cited Junior Public Works Minister Deodat Indar and Education Minister Priya Manickchand. Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall has been holding weekly meetings with individuals who are standing and sitting close to each other.
Earlier in the debate, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony urged Guyanese to adhere to COVID-19 measures to avoid a spike in the disease through community spread.
To date, 162 people have been killed by the disease.
The Health Minister overshadowed the current concerns of APNU + AFC, but instead recalled that two COVID-19 positive opposition parliamentarians attended a National Assembly sitting at the Arthur Chung Conference Center,
The government and the opposition have criticized each other’s measures to combat the diseases. An administration led by the People’s Progressive Party Civic has said that since coming to office on August 2, 2020, the 2020 testing capacity has been improved and new treatment protocols guided by international best practice.
On the other hand, APNU + AFC boasted that it had implemented several measures including curfews and building cleaning.