ST. JOHN'S Antigua, June 6th, 2012 -- Public posturing is the only way to describe the actions of members of the Antigua Labour Party (ALP) who continue to “debate” the motion of no confidence on the streets and in the media, which was aborted by ALP Leader Lester Bird.
The Standing Orders governing Parliament make provision for such a motion to be debated in Parliament. The Standing Orders also make provision, under Section 31, for the substantive mover of the motion to delegate that responsibility.
Lester Bird, who was the MP who brought the motion to Parliament on May 30 and whose participation in the morning session can be described as robust, knows best why he did not pass the baton to any of the members on his side.
MP Gaston Browne, when he rose following a pregnant pause after Speaker of the House, D. Gisele Isaac, announced the motion, acknowledged that his leader could have delegated the responsibility but chose not to do so.
A subsequent press release by Molwyn Joseph and Robin Yearwood confirmed that all of the ALP’s rallying and confidence in the efficacy of the motion was pure hype. That still has not stopped Lester Bird or Molwyn Joseph from attempting to debate the failed motion everywhere else but in Parliament.
Instead of acknowledging that the ALP was unmasked, MP Joseph, who admitted that he was kept out of the loop, continues a losing bid to save face. Instead of focusing on the ALP’s failure to launch, he is taking the time to nurture a fallacy. This was evident during Sunday’s Big Issues on Observer Radio when Joseph suggested that named UPP parliamentarians would have supported the ALP’s motion.
MP Joseph also suggested, on Sunday, that his party was ready to table “strong evidence” in Parliament. The only strong evidence is that the ALP failed spectacularly in yet another stunt.
Bird, too, continues the public posturing.
Both men are obviously playing to their supporters and will not let the facts stop them from a good story.
The fact is that a debate of a motion of no-confidence is not a lopsided affair. It is also a fact that all of the parliamentarians present are entitled to speak, and all of the UPP parliamentarians who were present last Wednesday were prepared to debate.
The United Progressive Party is confident the cogent evidence the parliamentarians were ready to present would have laid some ALP parliamentarians bare. They know who they are and they also know well the reason for the hasty retreat.
The UPP administration is prepared to debate the motion of no-confidence, in Parliament, should it ever see the light of day. The public should not be surprised when it does not.
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