Panday: Throw me out Speaker: Next time

OPPOSITION LEADER Basdeo Panday openly challenged House Speaker Barry Sinanan to have him put out of Parliament yesterday but got away with Sinanan only warning him that he (Panday) would not escape unscathed if he tempted fate and the Chair a second time.

During debate in the House of Representatives on an act to amend the National Lotteries, Sinanan warned a UNC MP for speaking out of turn while Opposition Chief Whip Ganga Singh was on his feet. “Have we been called liars in this House a hundred times?” Panday quipped from his seat. When Sinanan cautioned Panday, the UNC leader replied: “Don’t talk back to me!” “Are you threatening the Speaker?” Sinanan asked. “Yes! Put me out. Put me out of here!” Panday dared him. The Speaker then reached for his copy of the Standing Orders, ordered Parliament to be stood down for five minutes and summoned Singh and Leader of Government Business Ken Valley into his chambers for consultation.

During the unplanned break, Government and Opposition MPs milled around inside the parliamentary chamber, wondering about what action the Speaker would take and about the Cabinet reshuffle which Prime Minister Patrick Manning was expected to announce at 4 pm. Panday sat calmly reading a book and told a Government MP that “some of us are born great.” When Sinanan returned, Panday was the only MP who refused to stand and bow to him as dicatated by the Westminister system of Govern-ment. Sinanan stated: “The display of the member for Couva North is not befitting a parliamentarian of his years of service. It makes me sad. I am informing all members that any flagrant breach of the orders as displayed by the member for Couva North will in the future, be met by the full force of the authority vested in me as Speaker. All members be aware. In deference to his years as a Member of Parliament in this house, I am deferring the action that I could have taken.” The Speaker then ordered Singh to continue his contribution but not before Panday took a few barbs from the Government benches. “Don’t patronise me!” he snarled angrily.

Speaking with Newsday during the adjournment of the Lower House, Panday declared: “The Speaker is biased and has got to stop. The Speaker tried today to prevent Mr Singh from proving that the Government had lied and if the Speaker continues in this way then Parliament is of no use. If you cannot even point out that the Government lied in Parliament, then what is the use of this Parliament?” Asked if this meant the UNC would bring a motion of no-confidence against Sinanan, Panday replied: I don’t know what we will consider. What I know is that the Speaker cannot continue with the way he is continuing. He will not be allowed to.”