Clerk explains formula used to allocate Parliamentary Committee seats

The Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, has issued a clarification on the formula used to determine representation on Parliamentary Committees following recent public discussions and media queries about the composition of those bodies.

In a statement, Isaacs said the method currently used to allocate committee seats among political parties is not new and has been in place for decades. He explained that the system is designed to ensure that Parliamentary Committees reflect, as closely as possible, the balance of political representation in the National Assembly. Committee membership is therefore based on the number of seats held by each party in Parliament.

According to the Clerk, this principle is set out in Standing Order 94 of the National Assembly. The Standing Orders state that every Select Committee should be constituted in a way that reflects, as far as possible, the balance of parties in the Assembly, while the Committee of Selection is empowered to determine the size of committees unless otherwise specified.

Isaacs provided examples of how the formula is applied. In a 10-member committee, the PPP/C would receive six seats, while WIN and APNU would each receive two seats. In a nine-member committee, the PPP/C would hold five seats, WIN two seats and APNU two seats. For a seven-member committee, the PPP/C would have four seats, WIN two seats and APNU one seat. In each of the examples provided, Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) would not receive a seat because of the limited number of positions available.

The Clerk noted that while every effort is made to achieve proportional representation, perfect proportionality is not always mathematically possible because committees have a finite number of seats.

He stressed that the allocation formula is not based on discretion or political preference, but is a longstanding parliamentary mechanism aimed at ensuring fairness and proportional representation in the work of Parliamentary Committees.

Isaacs said the clarification was issued to help members of the public better understand how committee membership is determined in the National Assembly.