Shadow Home Affairs Minister Deborah Backer yesterday by way of a motion sought to have the National Assembly approve her, via council, to confront Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh in the Committee of Privileges.Dr Singh had successfully piloted a motion making out a ‘prima facie’ case against Backer referring her to the Committee of Privileges to investigate whether she was in contempt of the National Assembly when she made remarks involving ranks of the Guyana Defence Force and the use of torture.Backer was seeking to have the ability to confront her accuser, namely Dr Singh, saying it would only be fair under natural justice, but the Government benches disagreed, saying that she had no right to confront Dr SinghIn piloting the motion, Backer told the House that it was an unprecedented move and that the House should aim for fairness.She explained that when she signaled her intention to confront Dr Singh she received a letter from the Clerk of the National Assembly on behalf of the Committee of Privileges informing her that in order to achieve that task a substantive motion has to be filed in the House and upon approval she would be able to.Backer is contending that Dr Singh misrepresented what she said in the House and she wanted him to appear before the committee and explain how he arrived at the wording in his motion.She pleaded with the House to approve her motion given that it could in no way harm natural justice.Senior Counsel Bernard De Santos who led the arguments on behalf of the Government side,Air Max 97 Undefeated For Sale, contended that the motion has to be made to ask the House to use its discretion in relation to the questioning of Dr Singh, and that in itself illustrated the fact that she did not have a right to.He said that under normal circumstance an accused is offered the opportunity to be heard as well as question the accuser but, “I wish to posit that this is not a normal proceeding.”Leader of the Alliance For Change, Raphael Trotman, in his presentation to the House,Adam Joseph Duhe Dolphins Jersey, pointed out that the motion was setting precedence and as such the House was afforded the opportunity.Trotman drew reference to the Constitution of Guyana which guarantees that a person charged for a crime must be offered the opportunity to confront the accuser.Trotman said that the establishment by the Committee of Privileges of the charge of contempt on the part of Backer was akin to a crime and as such she should be afforded the same right that any other Guyanese is afforded.He too questioned what was wrong in having Dr Singh appear before the Committee of Privileges and clarifications being sought.According to Trotman, “Persons should have the right to face their accuser.”Attorney-at-Law Anil Nandlall who is also a government Member of Parliament told the House that having a fair hearing does not guarantee a right of cross examination.He too pointed out to the National Assembly that the simple fact that Backer had to more or less file an application to have Dr Singh available for cross examination confirmed that she did not have a right to confront him.Nandlall also reminded the House that it was not a court,Cheap Air Jordan Shoes, and as such,Air Max 97 Undefeated Green, Trotman’s argument that the Constitution be used was without merit.He said that in the matter before the Committee of Privileges there were no fixed rules for fair hearing, and added that it is the National Assembly that regulates the process.Presidential Advisor and Government Member of Parliament Gail Teixeira slammed Backer’s motion calling it subterfuge by trying the matter in the public and not the designated committee.She said that in the process, the opposition was also undermining the Committee of Privileges.Teixeira suggested that when Backer made the now contentious comments about the ranks of the GDF, the Leader of the Opposition Robert Corbin should have called on her to apologise.She said that the act of subterfuge by Backer was aimed at undermining due process and calls into question the committee’s capacity of being fair.Shadow Finance Minister Winston Murray took umbrage to the subterfuge reference and that the motion was filed as a result of a letter from the Clerk of the National Assembly, adding that it was Teixeira who was trying to sensationalise the issue.On the issue of discretion as against a right,Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic, Murray appealed to the House to use discretion in favour of the applicant, questioning what harm could be done.“What is the big deal if we ask that the mover of the motion ask him what is the nature of his complaint?”Murray said that the basics of fairness suggest that the House exerts discretion in the favour o