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…Speaker called out for sitting silent
Kaieteur News – The Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir was again on Tuesday called out by Opposition Parliamentarian, Amanza Walton-Desir for sitting silently while government Members of Parliament (MPs) hurled derogatory remarks against her female colleague.
The female was reportedly verbally abused in the National Assembly, shortly after Alliance For Change (AFC) member, Khemraj Ramjattan wrapped up his contribution to Budget 2024 in the dome of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Lilliendaal, Georgetown.
Walton-Desir kicked off her presentation noting her discontent with the derogatory remarks made by Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Anand Persaud and Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy.
“From the outset I want to condemn in the strongest possible terms the verbal abuse that continues to be meted out to female members of this house by members of the other side. Mister Speaker, the disrespect of our women in politics must stop. Mister Speaker we have to be determined to develop a better culture in this National Assembly,” Walton-Desir said.
The Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs said she was particularly disappointed that the female government MPs did not see it fit to upbraid their colleague while he abused a female member of the Opposition. In an invited comment, Walton-Desir told this newspaper, “The Speaker of the House has the mandate to protect women legislators in the National Assembly from the type of verbal abuse that continues to be meted out to the female Opposition Members of Parliament by Ministers of the Government. Crude, sexist remarks and the objectification of our women should have no place in our Parliament.”
Meanwhile, Fernandes in an interview with Kaieteur News said the students who were in the gallery in the chambers were visibly appalled by the behaviour of the government MPs. Moreover, she pointed out, “They were allowed by the Speaker to shout their abusive words over and over in clear view of him and not once did he reprimand them.”
Similarly, the Shadow Finance Minister who made her contribution to Budget 2024 on Monday said the government’s Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, also sat in the National Assembly and did not utter a word as the verbal abuse continued against the MP.”
In a public statement she said, “When a female member of parliament has to face the indignity of extreme verbal abuse in what should be the hollow halls of the National Assembly, it shows the level to which Parliament has disintegrated.”
Fernandes continued, “History would recall generations of women who fought for their voices to be heard. Today I was subjected to a level of abuse in the National Assembly that I have never experienced before, I was repeatedly called several derogatory names by Kwame McCoy and Anand Persaud, without any protection from the Speaker.”
The Parliamentarian said she believes the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is provoked by her strong constructive critique of Budget and her role as an Indigenous woman in Parliament. “They believe that the Indigenous people should be contented with mediocrity. So, when I stand in the National Assembly, as the Shadow Minister of Finance, and constructively critique the PPP budgets they get angry, because how dare I step up as an Indigenous woman, rather than staying in the box they believe that Indigenous people should stay in,” she said.
Fernandes however made it clear that she will not be intimated by McCoy and Persaud in their attempts to silence her. This is second time that a government MP has been accused of verbally abusing a female Opposition MP in the National Assembly under Nadir’s watch. During the 2022 Budget Debates, disgraced former Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall told one of the Opposition’s females MPs: “Is a dildo you want, that is what you looking for.” During the same sitting Dharamlall had launched a further attack on the MP. Dharamlall later withdrew his statements and no further action was taken against him.
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