BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – NO Member on the Opposition Benches was present yesterday (Dec. 9) for the continuation of the 2017 Budget Session in the Federal Parliament.
The Members’ absence, according to Opposition Leader and Leader of the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP), the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, was in protest to the Speaker ejecting Senator Nigel Carty from the House.
Speaking on WINN FM’s ‘Good Morning Caribbean’ programme yesterday, Dr. Douglas announced that the Opposition would be boycotting the remainder of the Sitting.
“We have taken a decision based on that action by the Speaker, which is an action without merit, that we will protest that action. We stand in solidarity with our own member, Honourable Nigel Carty, on the Opposition Benches.”
While addressing the House on Thursday afternoon, Senator Carty had made comments to the effect that a Director of Public Prosecutions was dragged out of office.
On a point of order, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris objected to the comments and stated that the conduct of the Governor-General, Members of Parliament and Judges of the Eastern Caribbean could not be raised in the House except on a motion.
“For us to engage in a matter to do with the DPP is bringing unnecessary scrutiny with respect to the office of the court and the Member is going down the wrong way. There is no DPP that was dragged anywhere,” Dr. Harris said.
The Speaker of the House, Hon. Michael Perkins, stated that he too was concerned “with your usage of the term the dragging of the DPP out of office”, during which time Senator Carty was seen and heard laughing.
The seemingly displeased Speaker responded by indicating that he was disgusted with unethical behaviour in the Honourable House and brought Section 49(2) of the Standing Rules and Orders to bear on Carty.
“A member rose on a point of order, I was ruling, I was about to rule or I had begun to rule on the point of order and you chose to laugh at what I was saying. I find that to be grossly disorderly and I am applying Section 49(2). I’m asking you to immediately withdraw from the National Assembly for the rest of the day’s sitting.
“I find your act of laughing at the Speaker is totally and utterly disrespectful…”
Section 49(2) gives the Speaker or Chairperson of the House the authority to order a Member to immediately withdraw him or herself from the National Assembly if that person’s conduct is deemed “grossly disorderly”.
Following the Speaker’s ruling, Senator Carty made several attempts to request permission to address the Chair, indicating that he was not allowed to make a statement on the issue.
The Speaker however was adamant in his ruling and informed him that if he did not immediately remove himself from the House another section of the rules would have been applied.
While on WINN FM’s programme, the Opposition Leader insinuated that in making that decision, the Speaker, in essence, was sending a signal that the Opposition’s voice was not welcomed in the Parliament.
He said the treatment meted out to Carty was uncalled for and it had prevented him from expressing his views on the Budget.
“This has been extended to the rest of the members of the Opposition who have not yet expressed their views on the Budget. And as a form of protest and in support of what has happened to Nigel Carty, we shall not participate any longer in these Debates,” he added.
Dr. Douglas claimed that the Speaker’s ruling had “deprived us of our opportunity to speak in the Parliament. We want to be in the House. We have work to do on behalf of the people [but] we stand in solidarity with Senator Carty. This action is going to draw closer attention to the conduct of the Speaker”.
According to WINN FM, Dr. Douglas and the other SKNLP’ Members of Parliament had detailed what they viewed as a history of bias on the part of the Speaker, dating back to the time when he was Deputy Speaker.
