Speaker to expedite ‘teacup’ affair

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Barry Sinanan, wants to see a quick resolution of the teacup affair in which Minister of Housing, Dr Keith Rowley, and Fyzabad MP, Chandresh Sharma, accused each other of assault involving a teacup. Sinanan is chairman of the House Privileges Committee, which the House under its Standing Order 75,  delegates to oversee its powers and privileges. The other Committee members are Camille Robinson-Regis, Pennelope Beckles, John Rahael, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, and Subhas Panday, who were announced by Sinanan last Friday at a House sitting.

As Persad-Bissessar had declared herself to be the attorney for Sharma, speculation is that she may opt off the Committee. The Privileges Committee is due to sit in a session closed to the public, on Friday October 1, when it would be expected to address the Rowley/Sharma affair. Contacted yesterday, Sinanan said he was keen that the affair be probed as soon as possible. “As chairman of the Privileges Committee, it is my desire to have the matter completed expeditiously.” Last Friday in the House he ruled that the altercation on Wednesday in the Members Lounge or parliamentary Tea Room, did fall within the jurisdiction of the House. He said the molesting of any Member constituted a breach of the privileges of the House to which that Member was entitled. Moreso, he warned, the incident had the potential to erode the dignity of the House and to bring its Members into public ridicule.