Parliament off to stormy start in 2013…Opposition refuses to back down on Rohee “gag”

Jan 04, 2013 News

The 2013 sittings of the National Assembly got off to a stormy start yesterday, with government and the Opposition steadfastly standing their ground over matters related to Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee.

Minister of Home Affairs – Clement Rohee

The main Opposition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), insisted that the Minister, who was effectively gagged in the closing sessions last year, could not answer a question posed to Prime Minister Samuel Hinds by its Parliamentarian, Winston Felix, a former police chief.
Felix was at the time asking the government side for an indication of when a critical citizens’ security report by Capita-Symonds Group, which was made public on December 31, 2012, will be laid in the National Assembly.
Posed with the question, Prime Minister Hinds said that it should be directed to Rohee. There was unanimous approval from the government benches at this, as evidenced from the loud banging on the tables.
However, Felix was quickly on his feet, pointing out that the National Assembly last year passed a no confidence motion against the Minister and as such he would not be allowed to “speak in this Parliament”.
However, Gail Teixeira of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) opined that Hinds, although head of the National Assembly, could not suitably answer the question and that it should be directed to Rohee.
Teixeira, in agreeing with the Prime Minister, also suggested that Felix should place the questions in writing.
The sitting was chaired by Deputy Speaker Deborah Backer, of APNU. Speaker Raphael Trotman is reportedly out of the country.
In ruling on the issue, Backer noted that while Teixeira could suggest that questions be placed in writing, it is hardly likely that the Parliamentarian (Felix) could be “directed” to do so.
She ruled that the National Assembly cannot force the Prime Minister, at whom the question was directed, to answer, and as such the issue ended there.
In late November, Speaker Trotman had ruled that an Opposition motion to prevent Rohee from speaking, be sent to a special committee.
Trotman’s ruling effectively blocked Rohee from tabling any Bills in Parliament until the matter has been heard by the Committee of Privileges. The Parliamentary committee, headed by the Speaker, is the one that can investigate the conduct of Members of Parliament. Rohee, significantly, sits on the committee.