MPs BEHAVIOUR UNBECOMING

Jun 20, 2017 Editorial, Features / Columnists

Last Friday, the business of the National Assembly came to a crushing halt for about 15 minutes when Speaker, Dr. Barton Scotland walked out of the parliamentary chambers after a backbench opposition member refused to obey his commands.
The hostility between the Speaker and the Opposition Members of Parliament was uncalled for. Parliament is where the government Ministers and MPs and members of the Parliamentary opposition take turns to debate issues pertaining to the interests of the people. It is not the chamber for MPs to settle personal scores, hurl insults at one another or make false accusations.
The incident that prompted the Speaker to vacate Parliament stemmed from the opposition MP, Nigel Dharamlall’s refusal to obey the directives of the Speaker. He was asked to use another term instead of ‘decimate’ but he chose to refuse, thus showing his contempt for the House. Many felt that he should have been suspended from the House for insubordination.
MPs ought to know that the National Assembly is not the place where accusations can be made without proof. Either Mr. Dharamlall does not understand the rules governing the House or he is blatantly violating them. That said, no Member of Parliament should be allowed to disrespect the Speaker without facing serious consequences.
Known for their rancorous debate in Parliament, members of parliament believe that they can violate the rules of the House and not be punished. The opposition members of parliament were adamant that MP Dharamlall did absolutely nothing wrong for the Speaker to place a gag order on him.
They drew a line in the sand and stood with their colleague to send a message to the Speaker that his actions toward Mr. Dharamlall were unfair and unjust. They contended that they would not accept anything short of fairness from the Speaker. There were loud noises from both sides of the aisle as the opposition accused the government of being incompetent and betraying the trust of the people.
Hostile reactions by MPs will not address the fact that the people are increasingly seeing politicians as a group of selfish and egotistical politicians. We know that some MPs can be quite profuse and brutal in attacking their opponents, but they become incredibly touchy when they find themselves at the receiving end.
Most people view MPs as the authors of their future; people whose task is to chart a way forward for Guyana. But sadly, some MPs have shown not to have any pride in the August House since their behaviour continues to leave a bitter taste in the mouths of the citizens.
Not only has their behaviour caused the public to be disappointed, but they have also failed to set the right tone and atmosphere for a decent debate. Parliamentarians have a duty to set high standards and be good examples for youths.
Most Guyanese are peeved at the dismal performance of the MPs they elect, especially those in the opposition. What is even more annoying is that their performance in terms of finding solutions to problems often pales in comparison with the generous remuneration they receive. However, at this critical juncture of the nation’s history where sacrifice by everyone is required, MPs should lead by example.
Such approach would definitely go a long way to help rebuild some of the trust and respect which Guyanese traditionally had for MPs but they have lost it because of their self-serving attitude and disruptive behaviour.

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