Attorney General and Chairman of the People’s National Congress Reform, Basil Williams SC today told a group of party members that the Parliament represented accountability and transparency and urged them to learn more of the working of this body.
Williams was at the time delivering the feature address at the opening of a one-day study tour for the Patriots- a PNCR group comprises mainly of professionals at Guyana’s Parliament. The tour was facilitated by the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, and included presentations from other key staff of the Parliament. Williams congratulated the Patriots and its Education Coordinator, Dr. Taishan Shanks for the innovative exercise.
“This what you have organised here today is very innovative and I must applaud you because it is in this hallowed chambers that decisions which affect the lives of all of us are made and I am pleased you are attempting today to understand the process…” Williams remarked. He explained the difference between the Parliament and the National Assembly and also spoke about the place of Parliament in the doctrine of separations of powers.
Under Article 51 of the Constitution of Guyana, the Parliament of Guyana consists of the President and the National Assembly. The National Assembly has 65 members elected using the system of proportional representation. Twenty five are elected from the 10 geographical constituencies and 40 are awarded at the national level on the basis of block votes secured.