No Confidence Motions against Harmon, Govt Ministers thrown out – Speaker

…will not be placed on Order Paper

The No-Confidence Motion against Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon, as well as the ones he filed against Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony and Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn, will not be heard in the National Assembly.

Speaker of the House, Manzoor Nadir, gave his reasons for this decision during a press conference on Thursday, stating that the motions would not be placed on the Order Paper for parliamentary debate.
“The clerk has responded to two of those No Confidence Motions. They are governed by a high court case which says that no-confidence motions should be brought against the Government, and not a particular Minister. With respect to the Government motion against the Leader of the Opposition, my position has been that the constitution is quite clear with respect to how you appoint the Leader of the Opposition, so the same process should be employed in disappointing the Leader of the Opposition. For me, it will not go on any Order Paper,” Nadir detailed.

Harmon had filed motions against Ministers Anthony and Benn back in July, calling for their resignations over what he claimed was the poor running of their Ministries. His motion against Dr Anthony was seconded by former junior Health Minister Dr Karen Cummings, while his motion against Benn was seconded by shadow Home Affairs Minister Geeta Chandan-Edmond.
The APNU/AFC have contended that the management of the spread of COVID-19 has been woeful, and confirmed COVID cases and deaths are “spiralling out of control.”

The Government side, through Prime Minister retired Brigadier Mark Phillips, filed a No-Confidence Motion against Harmon the very next day. According to the NCM prepared by Phillips, he is demanding Harmon’s immediate resignation from the position of Leader of the Opposition.
The NCM cites several grounds for Harmon’s removal, starting with his role in the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change’s (APNU/AFC) desperate fight to stay in power after losing the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.
Phillips also contended that the Opposition Leader “recklessly misinformed the public and the National Assembly” when it comes to the COVID-19 vaccine, its efficacy, and its acquisition by the Government.

This is a reference to Harmon’s campaign against the Government’s acquisition of Sputnik V vaccines, during which he even called for a halt to the distribution of the vaccine. According to Phillips, Harmon’s actions endangered lives and increased vaccine hesitancy among an already vulnerable population.
At present, the configuration of the National Assembly sees the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) with the parliamentary majority of 33 out of 65 seats. APNU/AFC, the main Opposition party, has 31 seats, while the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), in collaboration with two other parties, holds one seat.