Opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) MPs yesterday again walked out on the People’s Partnership Government’s motion of no confidence against Opposition PNM leader Dr Keith Rowley, although Government MPs continued debate on the motion after they left. Also leaving the chamber—and the motion behind—was Independent Liberal Party (ILP) MP Jack Warner.
The motion was based on Rowley’s failure to disclose that Police Complaints Authority director David West was his witness in a civil case involving former attorney general Anand Ramlogan. Input from Rowley and the PM was required for West’s appointment. During the March 25 start of the debate, PNM MPs had walked out of Parliament after MP Colm Imbert dismissed the motion as “foolishness.” Yesterday, debate continued with seven of PP’s 26 MPs absent, including Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who is in Jamaica.
Eleven of the PNM’s 13 MPs who arrived for yesterday’s session remained throughout various agenda items, including questions to ministers. Absent were MPs Amery Browne and Patrick Manning. Most of the PNM MPs also remained while PP MP Vernella Allyene-Toppin read an explanation and apologised on her statements concerning Rowley in the first leg of debate. However, Rowley and several female PNM MPs left the chamber as she was speaking but returned after she ended.
But at 2.30 pm, as soon as House Speaker Wade Mark began announcing continuation of debate on the motion concerning Rowley, the Opposition bench began dramatically packing up, with much conspicuous gestures and putting away of papers. They then all walked out, taking the elevator to the Parliament tearoom, PNM MP Terrence Deyalsingh later confirmed. He said the PNM would have remained in the tearoom while debate continued.
Deyalsingh said the PNM would not sit in Parliament and listen to the PP “titillating themselves, this is a denigration of the Parliament. Let them writhe in their own slime.” He said the PNM did not seek to denigrate the Prime Minister at a personal level when they mounted a no-confidence motion against her earlier in the term. On Warner’s move to seek to have the Parliament take disciplinary action against Alleyne-Toppin, he said: “That’s a necessary tool, it will be interesting to see what the Speaker has to say.”
Deyalsingh said the PNM would continue boycotting Parliament once the PP continued the motion, adding Alleyne-Toppin’s apology was insincere and blamed the COP/PP for the situation. He said Alleyne-Toppin could have raised the rape issue in various previous sessions when legislation concerning rape had arisen. “What does a motion of no confidence have to do with rape?” he asked. The House adjourned just before 7 pm last night and debate on the no-confidence motion continues on April 17 at 1.30 pm.
Admiration for MP
PP MP Suruj Rambachan, inside the chamber, however, expressed admiration for Alleyne-Toppin, saying there was a rare added quality when MPs rose to the occasion as she had. He said the motion had to do with Rowley’s character and conduct, since he aspired to be lead T&T, and voters had the right to know the person for whom they were voting. Saying a leader makes or mars a country, he said Rowley was disrespectful and unfit to be Opposition Leader and aspire to be Prime Minister.
Noting the PNM MPs had worn red when they all walked out on March 25 and didn’t wear red yesterday, Rambachan said if people aspired to lead they stood up and defended their name. He noted Rowley’s statements in the 2013 no-confidence motion against Government, where Rowley said one was duty bound to respond on such motions. Rambachan said responses by Rowley and PNM’s Colm Imbert on pollster Nigel Henry’s poll showed intolerance and arrogance.
He questioned how Rowley as prime minister might respond to ideas or issues he might not tolerate, “especially when “tolerance” was one of T&T’s watchwords.” He also questioned why Rowley’s Parliament biography did not state he had a son and that Rowley only admitted he knew West was a witness in the Ramlogan case when the PM questioned him on it. (GA)