House Speaker schools undignified MPs

Jul 09, 2017 News

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Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland, has reminded Members of Parliament (MP)

on both sides of the floor, of their obligation to conduct themselves in such a manner so as not to bring disgrace to the “noble institution” and themselves.
The Speaker did so during the 67th Sitting of the National Assembly on Friday last.
While making reference to two prior sittings where “unprecedented” scenes occurred; the Speaker scolded the Members.
In a calm and careful delivery, the Speaker said, “None of them (scenes) do credit to our institution nor to ourselves as Members of Parliament – all of them avoidable and none of them excusable.”
By acting as they did, the Speaker said that the “honourable members” appeared to show little regard for the honour of the House.
“By our conduct, we gave to the public on whose behalf we claim to act, at best, a poor lesson in parliamentary decorum.
Given that our conduct which we sometimes display within the chamber – and in some instances our conduct outside it – over the period of this parliament, we’ve left our citizens to form other than the highest regard for our parliamentary conduct.”
The Speaker spoke of one instance where the House was fully constituted and the then “most-junior member of the house” took to social to make “uninformed” comments in reference to the Speaker.
“I’m not aware that the honourable member has even been called to account for his conduct. In fact, not long afterwards, Senior Members of this House chose to conduct themselves in similar fashion making criticisms which involved the Speaker as head of this institution – recklessly careless as to the truth or otherwise of their utterances.”
This practice, the Speaker opined, occurs whenever MPs are displeased with his ruling.
He noted that there is an open line of communication between himself and other MPs. This line, he urged, must be used responsibly so as not to make political points.
“The Speaker accepts communication directly either by voice or by writing from honourable members and he holds such communication both useful and valuable.
When however, honourable members make reference to those communications in (the) public (or) print in an effort to make political points – as has been the practise by some honourable members – this conduct could affect that ease of ready communication which the Speaker values and would wish to continue,” the Speaker said.
Dr. Scotland, while recognising the importance of members informing the public of his rulings, noted that there is room to do so without him being drawn into any “political contention.”
He went on to talk about the disregard for the House and how it is taking new forms.
He referenced one instance where the Parliament Chambers “formed the backdrop for a parody.”
The Speaker said that it was brought to his attention by a member of the public, that “an honourable member” took the assembly “viral”.
Though he did not mention the name of the MP, it appears that the Speaker was referring to the video that was posted to social media by the Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes.
Last month, Broomes apparently preformed a parody of Guyanese media sensation, Allison Hunt, who has been posting videos of herself in Paris, France.
It was evident from the tone of the minister that she was imitating Hunt. However, her words would have irked some supporters of the Opposition.
She is seen in the shaky video pointing to the seats of Jagdeo and Trotman.
“Yes boom out…this is the Parliament…look at me, you people have to come here, and to see the Parliament of Guyana. Right here, behind me here is the Opposition Leader seat. His name is Bharrat Jagdeo. Boom out and look right here is where the honourable Minister Raphael Trotman sits down.”
Broomes, a long time miner, continues: “Right here, boom out, Bharrat Jagdeo is the doctor of failure, he is irrelevant and insignificant and the honourable Minister Trotman…bim bam boom out. Lemme throw my hair at the back of me, my hair is not so long. So boom out, this is the Parliament, look at me.”
She said that the Opposition the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), which lost the 2015 general elections after two decades in power, really wants to return to spend the oil money that will come from the ExxonMobil well that will start operations in 2020.
“Y’all got to come down to GT (Georgetown) and come in de national Parliament and have a seat and look at Bharrat Jagdeo, and the PPP small c and the Opposition and they want to come back to power to spend de oil money.”
But that ain’t happening, the Member of Parliament promises.
“But boom out, dem ain’t coming back. Because the Guyanese people…we know he is a failure, bim bam, so we gonna boom out right here in my seat.”
The video ends with Broomes taking her seat.
The Speaker of the National Assembly spoke about MPs inheriting good practices from their predecessors. He stressed the importance of these practices to be upheld. He then quizzed the MPs about what practices would they be leaving for their successors.
“Our predecessors left us a legacy of decorum and good practice for this House; I ask what shall we leave our successors. In our statements in this house, many honourable members demonstrate an act of incivility and would select words which border on disregard, if not disrespect to their fellow honourable members,”
Dr. Scotland said that one member of the public has stated that MPs have “private scores to settle”, and that they do so when they speak in Parliament.
The result of this, he explained, is a never-ending circle of answers or responses in similar tones.
“I put it to honourable members that they have a duty to venerate our institution; this noble House and to give evidence to that veneration through their conduct as Members of Parliament.”

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