By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — Dr. Vishnu Panday, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), has clarified that despite shared ethical concerns regarding Public Works Minister Bishop Juan Edghill’s attendance at committee sittings following the M.V. Barima tragedy, he possesses no legal authority under Parliamentary Standing Orders to evict or bar the Minister from participating.
The clarification comes after Minister Edghill’s arrival at Monday’s PAC meeting triggered an immediate walkout by Opposition members representing A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), forcing the parliamentary body to adjourn due to a lack of quorum.
APNU Members Stage Walkout Over “Business as Usual”
The PAC had convened with a valid quorum and was examining corrections and omissions to previous minutes when Minister Edghill entered the chamber.
APNU Members of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul and Juretha Fernandes immediately objected to Edghill’s presence, arguing that it was inappropriate for him to participate in parliamentary oversight while facing intense public backlash and calls for his resignation over the July 18 maritime disaster:
“We believe Edghill must be held accountable. We believe that he has failed the sector and cannot continue as business as usual,” APNU MP Ganesh Mahipaul stated during a telephone interview with Nightly News. “Bishop Edghill showed up after we were examining an item… I took umbrage to his presence, requested of him to recuse himself, and stated that I am not comfortable sitting with Edghill in this meeting.”
[ PAC STANDING ORDERS vs APNU WALKOUT ]
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┌─────────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────────┐
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[ Legal & Standing Orders Constraint ] [ APNU Walkout Impact ]
- Dr. Panday rules Edghill remains substantive member - Opposition MPs Mahipaul & Fernandes walk out
- Chairman lacks statutory power to evict/compel recusal - Quorum lost; PAC proceedings halted
- Calls on Minister to recuse himself on "own volition" - Demand for executive accountability over M.V. Barima
Standing Orders Dictate Minister’s Right to Sit
Addressing the controversy, Chairman Dr. Vishnu Panday explained that his ruling was strictly guided by the Standing Orders of the National Assembly. Because Minister Edghill remains a substantive government minister and a duly appointed member of the committee, the Chairman cannot arbitrarily suspend his constitutional right to attend:
“I quoted the standing order that I have no authority to evict a member or to ask them or to compel him to leave… Parliamentary rules must be upheld,” Dr. Vishnu Panday emphasized. “The decent thing for Mr. Edghill to do is walk on his own volition or recuse himself, but I cannot compel him to do that.”
Opposition Maintains Respect for Chair, Demands Ministerial Recusal
MP Mahipaul clarified that the opposition’s protest was directed solely at Minister Edghill and not at Chairman Panday’s legal ruling. However, he maintained that APNU members will refuse to sit alongside the Public Works Minister in parliamentary committees as long as the government resists independent executive accountability for the M.V. Barima disaster, which claimed over 70 lives.
