Preposterous stand from the Opposition

Feb 24, 2022 Letters

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Dear Editor,

The idea is most preposterous, that is, that there is an “Opposition motion seeking (the) expulsion of Dharamlall from Parliament.” This motion is the continuation of the now infamous, but dead ‘dildo’ statement made by him, the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development. As we all recall, and can of course access the footage, Nigel Dharamlall, during a recent sitting of the National Assembly, uttered the distasteful remark. Now, a motion has been submitted by Opposition Parliamentarians, Catherine Hughes and Nima Flue-Bess, to Parliament, to refer the minister to the Committee of Privileges and have him be expelled from the House.
Let me back up please, as I want to ask those behind this motion about what transpired, when Opposition Members of Parliament protested the hearing of the NRF Bill, which they wanted to be sent to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee for review. However, in being overruled, they resorted to disrupting the session. As was witnessed on the occasion and which can now be seen on social media, Coalition MPs stood banging on their desks when the Bill was called up for debate and subsequently gathered in the pit of the Dome of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), where National Assembly sittings were being held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Bill was eventually passed, but the Opposition’s protest escalated into a physical confrontation with Parliament staff, after one of the Coalition MPs snatched the Parliament Mace from in front of the Speaker. I remind our readers that “… no matter where parliament sessions are being held, the space in the middle between the Government and Opposition sides is sacred ground and a peace zone.” Therefore, it is forbidden territory and no one is ever allowed to be in that area. However, it was stormed by the Oppositions MPs and supporters, who threateningly surrounded the presenter of the Bill, Dr. Ashni Singh, in an intimidating and physically violent manner. The behaviour was so raucous, it resulted in the compromising of the Control Room, as the internet was disconnected and the loudspeaker system shut down.
There is another case I want to bring to the fore, that is, when in Nov. 30, 2018, the then Minister of Public Health and Chairwoman of the People’s National Congress (PNC), flatly said that “I will only give jobs to PNC people.” The utterance emanated during her address at the party’s Region Four District Conference at Congress Place. At that time, she emphasized that “The only friends I got is PNC so the only people I gon give wuk to is PNC and right now I looking for a doctor who can talk Spanish or Portuguese and ah want one that is PNC.” Imagine!
I can go on to the crudely Outspoken Opposition Member of Parliament, Sherod Duncan, currently facing cyber-crime charges in the Magistrates’ Court, after being accused by IT Manager at the Guyana Elections Commission, Aneal Giddings, over statements that he allegedly made on his social media talk show. Mr. Giddings was singled out by Duncan and he was allegedly referred to as a “jaggabat” and “trench crappo,” two demeaning descriptions that are disrespectful and so caused him a significant emotional distress and humiliation. Add to this that Sherod Duncan was publicly chided for his “vile, most repugnant onslaught” against Priya Manickchand. On that occasion, he used his Facebook page, to describe in song, that the Education Minister, Priya Manickchand as a ‘wild hog’ that needs taming.
Against this background, the Opposition collective and their allies have no moral and ethical grounds to sponsor any motion against Minster Dharamlall. The argument on their behalf is that “… Dharamlall, in response to questions posed by various Members of Parliament, “hurled abusive language to his parliamentary colleagues.” It stated further, that “while being questioned by female Members of Parliament on the Opposition side, and during his exchanges while being on the floor of this honourable House, he blurted out the words ‘you got to get a dildo, that’s what’s you looking for.” The motion also stated the existence of evidence of the minister’s outburst as a review of the closed-circuit video of the proceedings confirmed the utterance of the “offensive” words.”
Well, let us get the balance and see which side is heavier with negatives. I have this strong feeling that the ‘criminality of the attempted purloining of the Mace’ and the ‘crappo and jagabat’ derogatory remarks is bothering the Opposition, they are looking for distractions. I am sure that they know the reality of 33/32.

Yours truly,
H. Singh

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