No confidence motions against Anthony and Benn filed with Clerk

Two motions of no confidence against the Ministers of Health and Home Affairs are with Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Issacs.

The motions were submitted on Tuesday at noon by Leader of the Opposition Joseph Harmon, who, flanked by several Members of Parliament, hand- delivered the documents to the Clerk’s office at Public Buildings.

Issacs upon receipt of the documents said he will examine the motions against the Standing Orders and submit the motions to the Speaker Manzoor Nadir, who will decide on whether these motions could be placed on the order paper for debate.

Speaking to the media, the Leader of the Opposition said the motions are necessary, “we all know that the situation in Guyana in respect to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spiral out of control, the number of deaths is about 478 or thereabouts and that is basically a run away train,” he told told the media, “We have asked that the House sanctions him and that he be called upon to resign.”

Harmon also accused the Minister of Health of failing to have a plan to “deal with the COVID-19 situation,” as he said the government is yet to address the acquisition of Sputnik-V vaccines through an arrangement with Sheik Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum.

Harmon said the Minister Benn ought to resign following the setting up of a new security entity. He was referring to the Regional Security Team. “Crime is out of control, they are hiding it,” Harmon said, “crime is out of control, when you have a private citizens in the bright lights of Main Street, gunned down and unto to now we can’t find, with all the cameras around, we still cannot find who did it,” Harmon said referring to the unsolved murder of Ricardo Fagundes in March.

Harmon listen the treatment of the Henry relatives over recent charges and what he said is the “weaponising” of the Guyana Police Force, “We believe that the House should be sufficiently moved to say that we have no confidence in Robeson Benn as a Minister of Home Affairs.”

Parliament is yet to announce the date of the next sitting of the House.