The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) contends that the order to send one of its Members of Parliament (MPs) to a disciplinary committee was a staged collaboration between the Speaker of the House, Dr. Barton Scotland and the government.
The Opposition’s allegations comes on the heels of the recent furore that erupted within the chambers yesterday after the Speaker upbraided MP Harry Gill for comments he made in a letter that was published in the nations’ dailies.
In his letter, Gill opined that the Speaker should view some of the videos online to see how “biased” he appears to be in the National Assembly.
Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, took umbrage to the utterances and moved a motion that Gill be sent to the Privileges Committee. The Sitting began much later than usual yesterday since the Speaker said that he needed to address Gill’s letter. Even Nagamootoo was eager to discuss the matter since he appeared to be in possession of a prepared speech.
Give the manner in which the issue unfolded, the Opposition held the view that Nagamootoo’s support for the House Speaker on the issue was not coincidental.
In a release to the media on the matter, the PPP said, “Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo read a prepared speech after which he moved a Motion that Mr. Gill be committed to the Privileges Committee. The Speaker without any discernible pause to deliberate, ruled that a case was made out for the matter to be considered by the Privileges Committee.
It was a vulgar case of a clumsily staged collaboration. This is the latest exhibition of a crude assault, not only of parliamentary democracy and the right to free speech of a Member of the National Assembly, in and out of the Assembly, but one of the most perverse decisions of a Speaker of the National Assembly in our living memory.”
