A Partnership for National Unity [APNU] is still unsure about its support to government’s motion to increase the debt ceiling and amendments to the Hydro Electric Act, which will be dealt with at Thursday’s sitting of the National Assembly.
Speaking with iNews last evening, APNU’s Member of Parliament, Joseph Harmon confirmed that APNU has been invited to a meeting at the Office of the President, scheduled to take place today, Tuesday July 16.
iNews was reliably informed that the APNU team will be meeting with President Donald Ramotar and a team of government advisors, to discuss the way forward of the Amaila Falls Project, since the motion to increase the debt ceiling and the amendment to the Hydro Electric Act are key components to moving the project forward.
These two topics were deferred at the last sitting of the National Assembly.
When asked if APNU will be supporting the amendment to the Act, Harmon explained that the amendment which will be introduced at the next sitting of the House is not the same amendment which was introduced previously.
He said that this new amendment was not formally introduced to the opposition parliamentarians, and as such, they do not have enough time to review it.
Harmon told iNews that he received an advanced copy from Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon. However, other opposition parliamentarians were not privy to such information, Harmon said.
“Because of this short notice, I cannot say we are in a proper position to consider the amendments to the Act,” Harmon said.
He further added, “If we had gone ahead on the last occasion when the amendment came and we approve of that and two weeks later you find that you need further amendment….we would have been faced with another attempt to amend again…when these amendments come we have to carefully scrutinize them and ensure that they are good laws.”
Additionally, the same position is being applied to the motion to increase the debt ceiling, Harmon said.
