Independent Liberal Party (ILP) leader Jack Warner has filed the same motion in Parliament twice, calling on the House to rescind the suspension of Opposition Leader and MP for Diego Martin West Dr Keith Rowley.
During a press conference at the ILP’s Edward Street, Port-of-Spain office yesterday, Warner said he filed the motion for debate at the next available sitting of the House of Representatives, scheduled for today.
He said he anticipated that the Speaker would reject the motion and would again file the motion to be debated on Private Members Day, which is held on the fourth Friday of every month. This would mean debate on Warner’s motion could take place on May 29 if it is rejected today.
Warner, who said he had filed the motions without the knowledge of the People’s National Movement, said Rowley’s suspension was unjust.
He said the statement issued by Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Joan Honore-Paul, which said the police investigation was still open, was proof that the Government had misled the public. He said Government had led the public to believe that the investigation was closed and called it the clearest case of political desperation by a government.
“This has to be resolved in the Parliament and the only people to do it is the ILP,” Warner said, adding that the ILP would represent the people while the Government and Opposition continued to fight.
“If ever there was any doubt of the need for a third party, that doubt should not exist. A third party, like the ILP, is needed to bring to the attention of the citizens matters of this nature.
“In this situation, when the Government and the Opposition PNM are at war, the voice and concerns of the people are being represented in and out of the Parliament by the third party, the ILP.” He said the current situation, where the Opposition Leader was suspended from Parliament, showed that the third party was needed so the Government would not remain unchecked.
“With a three-party system, where no one has the majority, governance and accountability can reign.”
Warner said there was now no doubt the Government deliberately misled the Parliament and the public.“What they have done can easily be described as the most barefaced prevarication known in our democracy and deserving of the highest condemnation from the people of this country,” he said.
He said people were still demanding better and honest leadership from the Government, “even in its last days.” He said, however, that honesty in the People’s Partnership Government was the best kept secret. The ILP, he said, had an obligation to reject the People’s Partnership Government even before the election date was announced.
“We reject what they stand for. Every community, school, workplace, citizens must use this opportunity by electing a government to set new standards between the Government and the governed.”