Standing orders allow for PPP MPs to be paid despite absence from National Assembly

Standing orders allow for PPP MPs to be paid despite absence from National Assembly – Sherlock Isaacs

May 09, 2019 News

Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, has said that Members of Parliament from the Opposition are within their rights to receive salaries, despite a decision taken by the party to abstain from the House.

Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs

People Progressive Party /Civic,( PPP/C), lead by its chairman Bharrat Jagdeo, had vowed not to attend sittings of the House until the hearing and determination of the no confidence appeals scheduled to come up before the Caribbean Court of Justice CCJ, this week.
Jagdeo later confirmed that he nonetheless has been receiving a salary from parliament, to which he has no qualms. In addition, opposition PPP/C Presidential candidate, Irfaan Ali, admitted that he was still receiving salaries although his party has decided to boycott parliamentary sittings.
The admissions have since been met with criticisms from party critic and Union Rep, Lincoln Lewis.
Lewis called for parliamentarians, boycotting sittings of the National Assembly to not be paid their salaries.
Addressing the crowds at the Labour Day rally held on May 1, Lewis noted, “Those who do not go to the National Assembly must not be paid because the people whom they represent when they strike are not paid.”
Despite the criticism, Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, has said that the Parliamentary Standing Orders allow for the PPP MPs to be paid.
Isaacs explained that according to the Standing Orders, if without leave of the Speaker, any elected member is absent from the National Assembly for more than six consecutive sittings occurring within the same session and within a period no longer than two calendar months he or she shall vacate his or her seat in the National Assembly in accordance with Articles 54 and 156(1)(b)of the Constitution.
“What that essentially means,” Isaacs stressed is that there is nothing prohibiting the Opposition MPs from collecting the salaries.
“At this stage, they are within their rights to collect a salary. However, if any member is to violate the standing orders as it relates to their attendance of the house, he or she is liable of losing his or her seat.”
Jagdeo had previously informed journalists that the party will not be attending Parliament despite the fact that there are a number of important subjects on the agenda, including the circulation of a paper on tax laws for oil companies.
The PPP Chairman noted that he doesn’t think that any sitting of the parliament should address any of these major issues, “especially before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) rules definitively” on the cases that sprung from the No-Confidence motion which was voted on December 21, 2018.
Jagdeo said the PPP position is that it will respect the CCJ ruling, but that the party will signal to the court “that we will not attend the sitting until the [No Confidence Cases are] definitively heard.”
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Jagdeo said that he has noted that the party decision is hinged on the CCJ no confidence appeals set for this week
“If we win the case at the CCJ – and the prospects look good – there will be no need for [PPP to head back to Parliament], because parliament will not reconvene. So, we are waiting on the ruling from the CCJ.”
He said that he believes the court will rule in the favour of the PPP, and that that ruling will ensure elections are held early.

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