…PPP wins No-confidence Motion in National Assembly
…as AFC’s Charandass Persaud votes against Govt
By Jarryl Bryan
There was shock in the National Assembly on Friday evening as a no confidence motion brought by the Opposition Peoples Progressive Party against the Government succeeded when Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament Charandass Persaud broke ranks and voted in favour of the motion.
A total of 10 MPs debated the motion, but when the dust was settled and a vote of division was called, Persaud’s vote changed the numbers to 33 in favour of the motion versus Government’s 32 votes against the motion.
A hush fell over the Assembly when Persaud voted in favour of the motion, and his erstwhile colleagues immediately rounded on him to ask that he clarify what he had said. This caused the opposition to verbally complain to the Speaker of the
AFC Member of Parliament Charandass Persaud (centre)
National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland, about the interference.
The tension in the chambers only increased when Scotland asked for a recount of the Government’s votes; and it was here that Persaud made it clear he would not change his mind when he repeated his “yes” thrice. And even though the remaining Government MPs voted against the motion, the damage was done.
Outside the chambers, Persaud defended his vote against the Government. According to the MP, he voted that way because of the AFC’s subordinate role to the majority A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).
Persaud cited examples, like Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence’s recent controversial statement about hiring party faithfuls, and pointed out that the AFC leadership did not condemn, but rather condoned, the statement.
“I am an AFC member, and I’m extremely disappointed in the AFC team. My reason for voting in favour of the motion is that I have no confidence in what the AFC team will do,” Persaud said, when questioned by the media.
“We are sitting in Parliament as yes men to APNU, and we are AFC. We have not blended with the APNU, the other parties have; we’re not. Why are we doing everything they want (us) to do? We are not opposing, we are not saying no to anything. That is where the problem is. I can’t stand that. This is a conscience vote,” he explained.
Persaud denied being affiliated in any way to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). Asked if he would switch sides to the PPP, Persaud indicated that he in fact intends to leave the life of politics behind. Asked point blank if he was coerced to vote the way he did, he made it clear he was not.
The MP also acknowledged that this act may have put his life in jeopardy. In fact, Persaud mentioned specific threats to his life that he received only minutes after the vote. While he lauded Public Security Minister and fellow AFC member Khemraj Ramjattan for offering him Police protection when leaving the premises, Persaud’s demeanour was of a man without fear.
“My conscience is now clear. My life may go, but I’ll die a happy person, and with a clear conscience… This is the one time I had a say, and I said it according to my conscience. Those who are APNU and those who are AFC, I have nothing against you,” he declared.
“The AFC team has disappointed me. And I did not work so hard to put them in power so they could run around and enjoy the good life. You destroyed the lives of sugar workers in a village I live in. I can’t live with that. If I die now because people aren’t happy with what I’ve done, I’ll die a happy person,” he reiterated.
