UNC commends senate President

The United National Congress (UNC) yesterday recorded its appreciation to senate Vice-President Rawle Titus for reversing his ruling in the face of “tremendous pressure” from the PNM’s front and backbenches. Titus had initally refused to allow Mark to read excerpts from a newspaper article, but later relented. Speaking at a news conference during the tea break, Mark attacked Attorney General John Jeremie, saying he now understood why Chief Justice Sat Sharma described his behaviour as alarming, shocking and atrocious.

Mark also singled out Legal Affairs Minister Danny Montano, stating that despite his (Montano’s) attempt to have him removed, the UNC will not falter. “If we have to mash up the Parliament, walk out the Parliament, we will not allow the PNM to stifle us,” he said. Noting that the issue arose out of an attempt to read a newspaper article on a public servant, who had filed for judicial review, Mark recalled that House Speaker Barry Sinanan allowed Kamla Persad-Bissessar to read out an affidavit in the Lower House three weeks ago, despite the objections of the AG. Mark said when Jeremie objected, saying the matter was sub judice, Sinanan quite rightly told Jeremie an affidavit was a public document.

Mark said the UNC had many options in the face of PNM attempts to stifle, stymie and undermine the efforts of the UNC to express its “legitimate” views in the Parliament. He said the UNC could go to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and this would be discussed at today’s caucus.  However, Mark stressed, the UNC’s most potent “artillery” was getting its message to the people and to ensure that the media was aware of what was taking place. Montano said very often people criticised the Opposition for its behaviour, but he stressed, the Opposition was often forced into the invidious position of being the bad boys “when we are fighting tooth and nail for the democratic process to stay alive.”

Chaos in the Senate

Mark sparks confusion during heated debate

Vice President of the Senate, Rawle Titus was forced to reverse his ruling and allow Opposition Senator Wade Mark to refer to a newspaper article, concerning legal action taken by Ganga Persad Kissoon, during debate on the Bill entitled “an Act to validate functions exercised by the Director of Surveys for the period June 18, 2004, to October 1, 2004,” yesterday in the Senate. Mark was responding to Minister of Agriculture Jarrette Narine’s second reading of the Bill, which sought to validate the functions carried out by the Director of Surveys during a four-month period who was, at the time, not informed of a legal notice which took away the responsibility for administration over State lands and placed it under the purview of a new office, the Commissioner of State Lands. Mark slammed the government’s incompetence and proceeded to question its motive behind separating the functions of the Director of Surveys, saying government had not sufficiently explained its rationale for the move.

He then began to draw the Senate’s attention to another article.  It  concerned the granting of an interim injunction to Ganga Persad Kissoon, a senior public official, barring Prime Minister Patrick Manning and the Public Service Commission from enforcing a decision to block Kissoon’s promotion to Commissioner of State Lands. Mark said the article was a public document and it was previously allowed in the House of Representatives. The Senate Vice President, who was unsure of the status of the case, was informed that the matter was still before a judge and therefore ruled that Mark was not to refer to the case. An incredulous Mark then decided to challenge the ruling.