The Opposition has tabled No-Confidence Motions (NCMs) against two government ministers seeking their removal. The Government subsequently filed one against the Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon, prompting the House Speaker, Manzoor Nadir, to instruct the Clerk of the Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs to solicit advice on the NCMs from the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall. However, Alliance For Change (AFC) Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan has taken umbrage to the development, noting that the move is unethical since Nandlall is a member of the Executive and to offer advice on matters within the Legislative domain can be seen as overreaching.
“Under our Constitution, the AG is the chief legal advisor of the government, and by government: that means the Executive. The Head of the Legislative branch is the Speaker. The Speaker as the head of a separate branch of government ought to be very, very discreet and discriminatory in how he uses the Attorney General in relation to matters brought into that branch of government called the Legislative branch. In my opinion – and I’ve already stated it publicly – the Speaker was wrong to ask the Attorney General on these issues; motions against two ministers and the other one in relation to the Leader of the Opposition,” Ramjattan said during a press conference today.
He added that the mover of the motion against the Opposition Leader is the Prime Minister, Mark Phillips. He added that Phillips could have been directed by Cabinet – including Nandlall – to table that motion, and therefore, Nandlall is now ascertaining the validity of a motion he helped to create, Ramjattan argued.
The AFC Leader noted that the matter could have been dealt with differently. He opined that the Speaker can still consult with Clerks from CARICOM and the United Kingdom while adding that it was former Speaker and ex-AFC Leader, Raphael Trotman, who “started that precedent in a big way”.
