Jagdeo’s questions were “out of order” – Finance Minister defends refusal to answer questions

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Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo. [News Source Photo]

By Jomo Paul

Finance Minister, Winston Jordan. [iNews' Photo]
Finance Minister, Winston Jordan. [iNews’ Photo]
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Finance Minister Winston Jordan has defended a decision taken in the National Assembly not to answer some questions put to him by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo saying that the questions were “out of order.”

On the last day of the consideration of the budget estimates, Jordan refused to answer a slew of questions put forward by Jagdeo, but Jordan says that Jagdeo had no legal grounds to ask such questions.

“Jagdeo had every opportunity to ask me any question he wanted within the Standing Orders of Parliament…I refused to answer questions that are not within the Standing Orders…the questions that were attempted to be asked were out of order,” said Jordan.

He insisted that if the Opposition Leader wanted to ask any questions that were within the remits of the Standing Orders, he was prepared to answer.

Jordan further criticized the quality and quantity of the questions posed to him during the budget considerations, stating that it was designed to embarrass someone at a government agency.

“All those questions that were asked were designed to embarrass somebody in the Ministry or some other place,” he stated adding, “If people say we blundered well I can’t say we blundered it was just a question of interpretation.”

Pointing to the old age pension, Jordan made it clear that the figure stated in the estimates was “absolutely correct” adding that Minister Volda Lawrence was short changed with respect to the aid she was receiving from the Ministerial staff.

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo. [News Source Photo]
Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo. [News Source Photo]
“It is really sad that they tried to make a meal out of these senior citizens,” said Jordan.

Former Junior Finance Minister Bishop Juan Edghill is alleging that the new APNU+AFC government has failed to appropriately budget for the increases in old age pension and public assistance in the 2015 Budget presented by the Finance Minister.

Edghill raised the issue in the National Assembly on Wednesday, August 26 where he pointed out that no significant increases to the allocation for old age pensions were made in the 2015 Budget.

 

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15 COMMENTS

  1. P.N.C just needed power.Not accountability to the people who were deceived to vote for the most incompetent pack of treasure snatchers.How can he answer questions when he can hardly comprehend what Dr Jagdeo asked.Time will tell.patience is virtue.

  2. Why don’t you go and ask Ramotar how his son and daughter got their appointments, and ask Sattaur how his whole family ended up in the GRA?

  3. Jordan is just another example of the farcity of this government….. Ministers have a duty to answer all questions in the parliament, regardless of his suspicion of whether they intended to embarrass the government or any indicidual….. he is preying what the questions were intended to achieve without even completing the process of answering and perhaps allowing follow ups with may paint a different picture from his preconceived notion.

  4. Why would Jordan refuse to.answer questions when he represents a coalition government that promised it will be even more transparent and accountable than any other government of our time… Jordan is making a mockery of the parliamentary process

  5. I don’t get these dumb shmucks. They speak to the media on an issue and don’t provide any examples of their allegations. The public don’t have a clue what they are talking about. Beside, their English and grammar are so freaking poor. It seems like the qualification to become a minister is just to be a dumb ass. The dumb leading the dumber.

  6. The Minister is absolutely right, he is not accountable to the devil / son of darkness, whose only tactic is to deceive, manipulate, and relish in his wickedness. Until Jagdeo could answer who it was that was sleeping in the bedroom with him after he locked his wife out of it,, or why he deceived her he was married to her when he did not, the only answer he deserves, is the affirmation of hell that there is where he belongs..

  7. Jordon should answer how he appointed five new staff at the ministry , without these position being advertised . All these new staff are afro guyanese, one the daughter of clerk of national assembly. Everytime this talk i feel like throw up, because he always speaks about transparency , fairness, accountability ect. And dont pratice same

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