BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE behaviour of Parliamentarians continues to leave a bad taste in the mouths of citizens of this land and one in particular has expressed his fear that the level of debate is not likely to be elevated.
It was only last week Friday (Jan. 20) that Parliamentarians gathered for a sitting of the House of Assembly, when things quickly took a turn for the worse as Speaker the Hon. Michael Perkins expressed his decision regarding the Opposition’s Motion of No Confidence against him.
The Opposition – members of which were obviously peeved – eventually vacated the precincts of the Parliament and did not return for the remainder of the sitting.
Former Parliamentarian, G. A. Dwyer Astaphan, during an interview with SKNVibes said what were once sporadic breaches of the rules which govern the conduct of the Parliament, are now chronic breaches.
“This is a continuation of an egregiousness in Parliament which began during the stewardship of the present Opposition Leader, then Prime Minister. The standard of conduct in the Parliament then and the serial breaching of the rules of order of the Parliament have reached the lowest low in the history of this country as far as I am aware. And all parliamentarians have to be of the same will to make the Parliament an elegant and dignified place for robust debate of issues of national importance.
“And the personal abuse, the insults which again are not allowed by the rules…I heard Members using insulting language towards the Speaker. But you also have Members on the Government side who are just as guilty. And so what we saw (Friday) did not surprise me because personalities and anger and rage and other emotions may be getting the better of the process. And in the end of it all, the standard suffers, and the people of the county are disrespected…”
Astaphan said the behaviour of Parliamentarians is nothing short of shameful.
“We really have to get away from this disrespectful attitude that Members of Parliament have to each other, to the Speaker. We’ve all in this country, regardless of who you support politically, had reason to hang our head in shame for what we hear coming from that chamber; all of us from both sides. And we need to step it up a notch. And the disrespectful and insulting language is being directed not only at other Members - which is against the rules – who have the right and the ability to respond in the House of Parliament. And the rules say you cannot impute improper motives or you cannot insult another Members.
He said not only has he observed Parliamentarians disrespecting their Parliamentary colleagues, who have a right to defend themselves against such attacks, but ordinary citizens, who cannot defend themselves, are also the subject of some of these attacks.
“You don’t have the right as a Member to impute improper motives to me or to insult me and I am a Member, and I can respond to you in the Parliament. But Members are allowed to impute motives and to insult members of the public who are not protected by the absolute privilege of Parliament, and use the cowardly approach and attack and abuse and character assassinate members of the ...That’s an abuse of office.
The former Minister of Government said the status quo would change after the citizenry sobers up to the reality of the situation and demand change.
“… and I fear that there is little indication that the level of debate is likely to improve. And so I think the people have to become alert to all of this and to decide if that is the standard that they deserve as a people. Because it is a reflection of us; what goes on in there is a reflection of us.
“And if we don’t get exemplary behabiour from those who lead us, and if we continue to allow them to lead us - on either side - then it is our fault because we are not worthy of a higher standard…if they are not going to stop it, we have to stop it.”
.jpg)
