…defends Speaker’s decision
…it’s a matter of legality – Harmon
In light of the unprecedented chaos created in Parliament during Monday’s sitting of the National Assembly, the Government side of the House feels that the Opposition displayed grave disrespect for the Speaker of the House, Dr Barton Scotland. Natural Resources Minister and Leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC), Raphael Trotman said he has never witnessed such behaviour in the Parliament before and regardless of the differences the Speaker has always been shown respect.
Police speaking with the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs
“Whenever a Speaker has invited a member to sit, be quiet or refrain or withdraw; that has always been complied with. We have set a new precedent today and some may say we have descended to a new low,” Trotman said while providing his views on the situation.
State Minister Joseph Harmon speaking to the press
Trotman, who served as Speaker of the National Assembly in the previous Parliament, said that from all indications the Speaker took the correct procedural steps. He noted that it was left up to the Clerk of the National Assembly in this case, Sherlock Isaacs, to decide if he believes that the Sergeant-at-Arms is incapable of enforcing the Speaker’s ruling to invite the Police in.
“I would also like to say that none of us would like to see chaos erupting further in the House, and I think we have enough of it. At the end of the day, the parliamentary style we practice is one where the Speaker is the presiding officer and that presiding officer must be shown respect and the dignity of the House has to be maintained,” Trotman told media practitioners in the halls of Parliament.
Meanwhile, in providing a comment on the issue, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon said it was a matter of the legality regarding the instruction given by the Speaker and the MP’s refusal to act on that instruction.
Natural Resources Minister and Leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC) Raphael Trotman speaking to the press on Monday
“It’s a question of the rule of law. The Speaker is the person who controls the business of this House and he cannot, Mr Edghill or no other member of the House, decide that they will violate these rules of the House by refusing to take action when the Speaker tells them to do so,” he stated.
The Minister claims that no one shows respect for the Speaker’s rulings anymore, and he believes that the Speaker is entitled to do what he wishes to keep the House in order and the MPs in line.
Business Minister Dominic Gaskin also had his views to share. He described the situation as “obnoxious behaviour” from the Opposition during a sitting and claimed that it was the second time that it has happened in the Parliament.
Sit-in
No compromise was achieved when Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and Dr Scotland met. However, the Opposition MPs continued their sit-in and collectively decided that they would stay until 22:00h, the time at which Parliament’s business was scheduled to be completed.
Jagdeo later told the media that he raised the concern that the matter went beyond just the Speaker ruling to have Edghill removed from the chambers.
“Subsequent actions of agents of the Parliament have led to Police coming here and the assault on many of our MPs, so it’s not a straightforward issue of a breach of the standing order any longer. It has several dimensions and the only thing we can do to defuse this situation is to adjourn for the day,” he stated.
An attempt to supply the MPs with lamps was prevented as the Police and security at the Parliament seized the lamps purchased by Opposition MP Gillian Burton-Persaud. The decision to purchase these lamps was taken after the electricity, wi-fi and air conditioning in the chambers were turned off as the MPs continued their silent protest.
