By Bibi Khatoon
Following an outcry over the recent sympathy motion passed in the National Assembly in honour of convicted terrorist Abdul Kadir, the Government will relook at the parliamentary practice which dictates that a motion of sympathy is drafted for former or sitting Members of Parliament who dies.
Chief Whip, Amna Ally in an interview with reporters on Wednesday said, “now that this has surfaced, maybe we can look to see whether for future, we can relook at that.”
She noted that the matter has not yet been discussed at Cabinet.
“We’re not a government which is just going to put a blanket on things. We will listen and we’re going to examine it and have discussions and see where we take it from there,” she told the media.
Kadir served in the Eighth Parliament from 17th April, 2001 to 2nd May, 2006.
He died in a U.S. prison last year June while serving a life sentence after he was found guilty in 2010 of plotting to blow up fuel tanks at New York’s Kennedy International Airport.
The National Assembly on April 26 passed a motion to honour Kadir for his service to the National Assembly and “the people of Guyana.”
Following the passage of the motion, the US Embassy in Georgetown condemned the resolution noting that it is in direct contradiction to the efforts of security cooperation between the US and Guyana.
“Members of the National Assembly…chose to honour a man who conspired to kill innocent people from across the United States and around the world,” the embassy said, noting that such an act is “insensitive and thoughtless.”
The motion was also condemned by the European Union.
The Government Chief Whip, however, sought to assure that the passage of the motion had nothing to do with terrorism or corruption.
“There is no link to policy or anything of terrorism or support for that… The US is aware that we do not and will not support terrorism,” she said.
The Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs in a statement to the media sought to explain that the date of sympathy motions is to acknowledge the contributions of the late members to the Parliament of Guyana.
“It is done with no other intent,” he said.
The Clerk said the motion on Mr. Kadir was innocently drafted and he conveys his “profound regret” for an unintentional offence which may have been caused.
