~~Adz:Left~~ A letter dated 3 August 2007 but actually received on 10 August 2007 was sent to the Speaker, the Honourable Marcella Liburd by the Honourable Shawn Richards, Parliamentary Representative for Constituency No. 5. The letter was copied to numerous individuals, local, regional and international organizations and the print and electronic media.
In his letter the Honourable Shawn Richards raised the following matters:
1. That the method used to replace the Honourable Malcolm Guishard with the Honourable Vance Amory as member of the Parliamentary Constitutional and Electoral Reform and Boundaries Committee was irregular.
2. That the establishment of a Boundaries Technical Committee and other related matters pertaining to the electoral reform process are breaches of the Constitution in particular, sections 49 and 50.
3. That as a result of these matters and the alleged utterances of the Honourable Sam Condor on 26 October 2004 his Party’s decision not to participate in the electoral reform process from the outset was the right one.
He therefore called for an urgent meeting of the National Assembly to address these matters.
In a letter dated 15 August 2007 and delivered to the People’s Action Movement’s (PAM) Secretariat on the same date the Honourable Speaker responded to the letter from the Parliamentary Representative for Constituency No. 5.
The Honourable Speaker wishes to advise as follows:
1. Pursuant to Standing Order No. 64 (3) the Committee must reflect the balance of the political parties represented in the National Assembly. The Honourable Malcolm Guishard was the representative of The Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) on the Committee. The only person who can replace him at the moment is the Honourable Vance Amory. In that regard a letter was written to the Honourable Vance Amory informing him that he was to replace the Honourable Malcolm Guishard on the Committee. It was recognized and had already been agreed that the matter had to be brought to the National Assembly as part of the procedure.
The Speaker therefore assured the Honourable Member for Constituency No. 5 that the matter would be addressed at the very next sitting of the National Assembly.
2. As regards the alleged breaches of the Constitution, the Speaker advised the Honourable Member for Constituency No. 5 that it appeared to her to be a matter of interpretation of the Constitution, in particular, sections 49 and 50 and that the House of Assembly was not the proper forum for engaging in interpreting the Constitution.
3. Finally, the Speaker suggested to the Honourable Member for Constituency No. 5 that as a member of the Parliamentary Constitutional and Electoral Reform and Boundaries Committee he should have participated in previously held meetings of the Committee. She further suggested that he should participate in the upcoming meetings of the Committee where he would have every opportunity to raise all the issues stated in his letter.
