UNC takes Speaker to CPA

THE Opposition United National Congress (UNC) yesterday took its “fight” with House Speaker Barry Sinanan to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) based in London. The party has also indicated its intention to file a motion of no confidence in the Speaker. The party yesterday renewed its condemnation of Sinanan as a biased Speaker in the House of Representatives. The UNC Parliamentary Arm held its caucus meeting yesterday and high on the agenda was Opposition MPs’ current stand-off, particularly Couva South MP Kelvin Ramnath, with Speaker Sinanan. But Newsday learned that the meeting held at the Rienzi Complex, Couva, steered clear of discussing Ramnath’s outburst Monday night at the Princes Town Junior Secondary School. Ramnath repeatedly shouted: “Barry Sinanan could go to hell!”

However, in a statement yesterday, the UNC accused Speaker Sinanan and Senate President Dr Linda Baboolal of “open and blatant display of bias in the conduct of the business of both Houses.” The statement pointed out two instances, the first in which Sinanan ignored Ramnath and Nariva MP Harry Partap during Friday’s debate in the House of Representatives.  “On both occasions the MPs stood up and waited for the Speaker to recognise them,” the statement said. The Opposition members, as a result, were denied the opportunity to speak. The statement went on to state that Speaker Sinanan offered the explanation that the members did not “catch his eyes.” The UNC further stated that Sinanan called Local Government Minister Jarette Narine into his chambers during the tea break. “But when the House resumed, the Speaker called upon Narine to wind up the debate,” the UNC statement said. Charging that the Opposition will not allow the Speaker to fustrate the will of their elected representatives, the UNC stated that the time was approaching for Opposition to move a motion of no confidence in Speaker Sinanan. “We are copying this statement to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Associa-tion based in London,” the statement ended.