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December 12,2017

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Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Barton Scotland said last night that PPP/C Parliamentarian Juan Edghill has been suspended after unprecedented chaos in the House yesterday and he said he was unaware that the police had been called into deal with the unrest. (See other story on page 20.)

Scotland was at the time addressing members of the media on his decision to suspend the 79th sitting of the National Assembly due to “gross misconduct” by the Edghill.

After chronicling the events that led to yesterday’s incident, the Speaker who was at the time reading from a prepared statement said that Edghill has been  suspended. Meanwhile, the 79th sitting will continue today. The opposition PPP/C had occupied Parliament Chambers up to 10 last night to ensure that Edghill was not evicted and it is unclear what their next step will be.

 Elaborating on  the decision to suspend Edghill from the National Assembly, the Speaker was adamant that he acted in accordance with procedures of the House, specifically Standing Order 47 (2), which states, “The Speaker or the Chairperson shall order any Member whose conduct is grossly disorderly to withdraw immediately from the Assembly during the remainder of that day’s sitting and may direct such steps to be taken as are required to enforce this order. But if, on any occasion, the Speaker or the Chairperson considers that his or her powers under the previous provision of this Standing Order are inadequate, the Speaker or Chairperson may name such Member for disregarding the authority of the Chair under this Standing Order, in which event the procedure prescribed in the next paragraph should be followed.”

 “The honourable member Edghill refused to withdraw from the chamber and the speaker then directed the Sergeant at Arms to take such steps as are required to enforce his order. At this stage the Speaker withdrew from his chair in the Assembly and the sitting was suspended to allow the order to be carried out. I understand that police arrived and attempted to remove honourable Edghill but were prevented from doing so by members of the opposition. As far as I know, this is the first time in the history of our parliament that a member has refused to withdraw from the chamber upon order of the speaker,” Scotland said.

He further pointed out that such standing orders were in place before his entry as Speaker of the House.

 In response to questions regarding Edghill’s suspension being lifted, the Speaker said, “I think Mr. Edghill knows what he has to do. You must forgive me for not answering that more directly. I know Mr. Edghill knows what he has to do.”

When asked to give some depth to the statement for the benefit of the public, the speaker said “I will not answer that directly or better than I am doing so now. That question I will not do that.”

 Meanwhile, in responding to questions about who instructed police to enter the National Assembly yesterday, Scotland said, “I have no authority to order the police. If there is disorder is in House, then order has to be restored, but no I don’t have no authority order the police…. I will only tell you that I didn’t even know the police were here until I saw them.”

 He noted that Edghill  was disallowed from continuing asking questions, since the procedures on time were discussed and agreed to during a meeting from which the Opposition left.

“The procedures for the consideration of time on each agency were discussed and agreed to during a meeting of the whole. Members of the opposition had absented themselves on the meeting of the committee of the whole,” Scotland added.

He further noted that as Speaker of the National Assembly, he will continue to act “correctly and fairly,” noting that “If I have to question you, if I have to upbraid you, I will do it.”

Meanwhile, in response to a question posed regarding other options being used to resolve the issue, Scotland said even in hindsight he does not see a better way of resolving the issue, other than suspending Edghill.

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The police should not have been called in to Parliament.

December 12,2017 Source

Dear Editor,

As I write this letter I am looking at photos of opposition members of parliament being removed from the chambers by police. I was hoping for a while that these were photoshopped, but that was not to be. These are not fake photos. These are real and true photographic images of what took place on Monday in the hallowed Chambers of the Guyana Parliament.

Shameful! What an image to emerge from our Parliament Chambers.  Member of Parliament Juan Edghilll was out of order. Parliamentarians the world over are often out of order. But to summon the police into the Chambers of Parliament was an unnecessary step and an overreaction. I have the greatest respect for the Speaker. He is my dear friend and one from whom I learnt a lot during my sojourn in the Foreign Ministry and at the United Nations. My impression of Dr Scotland was heightened many years ago when Gus Lee, then Chairman of the Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (GPC) handed a button with Burnham’s photo requesting that Scotland wear it during the opening ceremony of a heads-of-mission meeting. He refused the button and we, the younger and junior members of the foreign service were impressed with his lack of cowardice.

On this occasion however I am ineluctably constrained to express my disappointment with the decision of the Speaker. I know it started with the opposition’s disruption of the President’s address to Parliament, continued with a carefully orchestrated breach of security with the entrance of Santa Claus, and now Bishop Edghill’s wanton disrespect for the ruling of the Speaker that he take his seat, as well as for the procedures governing the conduct of members of the honourable House. The Speaker’s patience must we wearing thin. But this could hardly be the justification for calling in the police. He could have simply adjourned the sitting. There must have been other mechanisms at his disposal for sanctioning Bishop Edghill, including suspension from future sittings.

The House is under the Speaker’s control. It seems that the Speaker followed the advice given in a recent newspaper interview by former Speaker Sase Narain who told one of the dailies that he would have called in the police if he were presiding when President Granger was interrupted  during his address to Parliament recently. I doubt whether President Granger would have sanctioned that. I don’t recall the police ever being summoned into the Chambers of Parliament even though it is alleged that Demond Hoyte once picked up an ash-tray stand when he confronted Mackie Hamid and Dr Jagan once upturned a table. Sase Narain  as a Speaker,  no way would he have called in the police without Burnham’s approval. And believe it or leave it, but I am sure neither Burnham nor Dr Jagan would ever have sanctioned the police being summoned to remove members of Parliament from the chambers.

The argument about this being different times in support of the Speaker’s decision does not hold water. If the argument about these being different times is to hold water it would be in support of the need to avoid the negative portrayal of Guyana’s international image in this age of social media…..Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. We look here like a wild banana republic. Even in some of the wild banana republics the police aren’t called in. Instead there are parliamentary ‘bouncers’ dressed neatly in civilian attire that remove members. And in more civilized societies there is parliamentary privilege which provides against law enforcement removing and arresting members in the chamber, although there are mechanisms for sanctioning them when they abuse these privileges.

Any suggestion that Speaker Scotland resign or be removed as has been advanced on some Facebook posts is nothing but sheer nonsense. But he has got to meet with the leadership of the two sides, in camera, and work out a blueprint.

It’s time to get it right Guyana!

Yours faithfully,

Wesley Kirton

Django

It is distressing to watch Parliament.

December 12,2017

Source

Dear Editor,

Parliament is the most distressing thing to look at, with the potential to give you immediate ulcers if you listen for too long. This is behaviour that keeps the population on edge as the politicians rally their respective parties as they would in a gang rivalry.

Walking out of parliament, impersonating ‘Alison in Paris’, dog whistling and attacks to settle personal scores, are all indicators that parliament is a place for cuss-outs devoid of anything  constructive.  It is a sad reality that has been this way since our independence; we have come to accept it as tradition, as we have with many things, such as racism.

Walter Rodney had made the point that after independence, our government system had transformed into a mechanism to keep the wealth within a small group of petty rich people who grandstand with the promise that they are helping the poor.  This idea is not limited to race; rich Indians and Africans have found ways to maintain this status quo while fighting each other in public.

The fish market mentality from our MPs has confirmed in many ways the perception that first world countries have about us: that we are unable to manage our affairs in a professional manner and are unable to be progressive. This of course is what creates the environment for foreign entities to manipulate us, thus the resource curse.

We can safely say that the major racial groups have doubled down in their respective corners, waiting to go at each other’s throats as soon as election time comes, while the politicians sharpen their vocabularies to dog whistle at their best.

Guyana needs a clearing of politicians who are unable to let go of the bitterness of the past and look for an optimistic future. They are completely oblivious to the idea that they can actually form a better future, but instead they choose to feed their egos and insecurity by securing themselves with taxpayers’ money.

The sittings of Parliament, like the recent budget debate, give a small window into the mindset of these elected officials. And that view is terrible in every way, for there is no sign of progressive thinkers. Some are there to cuss out, some to make themselves look smart, others are covering up corruption and some are just plain foolish to not even realize how to behave in Parliament.

In the end, it all comes down to the people to completely dismiss these kinds of behaviour and demand through the ballot that we deserve better. It is time we stop accepting lip service as value.

Yours faithfully,

Malcolm Watkins

Django

MPS and Ministers condemn Opposition for their disrespect of National Assembly


DPI, Guyana, Monday, December 11, 2017

Ministers and Members of Parliament (MPs) on the government’s side of the National Assembly have registered their disappointment in the Opposition for their actions at today’s sitting.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon described today’s action by MP Juan Edghill as part of a pattern of disrespect by the Opposition. MP Edghill refused to obey a ruling from Speaker, Dr. Barton Scotland, during the consideration of the Ministry of the Presidency 2018 budget estimates.

“This has nothing to do with who can speak and all of that. It’s a question of the rule of law. The Speaker is the person who controls the business of this House and he cannot, Mr. Edghill or no other member of the House, decide that they will violate these rules of the House by refusing to take action when the Speaker tells them to do so. If this were to be allowed to go like that we will have chaos”, Minister Harmon emphasised.

Edghill’s refusal to comply with the Speaker’s ruling quickly degraded into chaos after Dr. Scotland directed the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove Edghill from the chambers.

Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin said this is the second incident of “obnoxious behaviour” from the Opposition during a sitting. “This is a party that claims its wants to run this country, govern this country. How can you govern a country when you have such little respect for our national institutions? Any member who does not recognise the authority of the Speaker has no place in this House!”, he added.

“Bishop told the Speaker in no uncertain terms ‘I’m not leaving. Get the Police to remove me! What kind of religious man is that to begin with? And when the Speaker ordered him out of the House…he said, “I’m not leaving”, MP Charrandas Persaud recounted.

MP Edghill’s continued defiance of the Speaker’s orders saw an intervention by the Guyana Police Force to escort the Member out of the Chambers but ranks were met with a human barricade formed by Opposition parliamentarians. This prompted the suspension of the Sitting.

Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, said she was disappointed in the Opposition’s mockery of the sexual assaults in the House. “Regardless of what has happened, I sat there and male and female Members of Parliament shouting rape, rape, rape. It was recorded as if rape was a joke,” the Minister noted.

Today’s debacle was an embarrassment to women across Guyana, Minister Broomes added. “I mean where are we really going as women? Where are we? Rape is a serious problem”, an impassioned Broomes told media operatives.

During the confrontation between the Police and Opposition MPs, an Opposition member could be heard screaming “rape” repeatedly and loudly.

Meanwhile, MP Jermaine Figueira also expressed his disappointment to have witnessed today’s incident as a young politician, “This experience is not what the young people of Guyana are looking for from elected representatives”.

“I believe this is one of the highest House where decisions are made that will impact the nation more so the future of the nation. A lot of young people look to the Members of Parliament as role models as examples to aspire to, and I would want to believe that they are most disappointed with today’s activity”, Figueira added.

Django

PPP/C Parliamentarian Juan Edghill has been suspended after unprecedented chaos in the House yesterday and he said he was unaware that the police had been called into deal with the unrest. (See other story on page 20.)

 

This JACKASS the PNC call Speaker suspended Edgill but the STINKING LIAR said he do not know who called the Police. The friggin Police came because they heard God said to go!! These BLOODY ANIMALS are not fit to be locked away in a Sty.!!!!!!

Nehru
cain posted:
Django posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:

They just arrested Edghill.

For what ?

Being ugly 

You rass didn't see ugly yet. You haven't seen me yet. I make the Bishop look like Brad Pitt.

FM
skeldon_man posted:
Django posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:

They just arrested Edghill.

For what ?

For being an honest black man supporting what is right. 

The PPP should walk out of Parliament and leave them to do what they want to do.  They are going to pass the bill anyway, so why delay the inevitable and put people in harm's way.

Bibi Haniffa
Last edited by Bibi Haniffa
Bibi Haniffa posted:
skeldon_man posted:
Django posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:

They just arrested Edghill.

For what ?

For being an honest black man supporting what is right. 

The PPP should walk out of Parliament(I agree) and leave them to do what they want to do.  They are going to pass the bill anyway, so why delay the inevitable and put people in harm's way.

It's called the "Kim Jung Un way".

FM
skeldon_man posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:
skeldon_man posted:
Django posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:

They just arrested Edghill.

For what ?

For being an honest black man supporting what is right. 

The PPP should walk out of Parliament(I agree) and leave them to do what they want to do.  They are going to pass the bill anyway, so why delay the inevitable and put people in harm's way.

It's called the "Kim Jung Un way".

I am predicting Guyana's first civil war, happening under this PNC administration.  Y'all get ready for bloodshed.

(Django please file this under your cut and paste folder.  You will say Bibi said so.)

Bibi Haniffa
Last edited by Bibi Haniffa
Bibi Haniffa posted:
skeldon_man posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:
skeldon_man posted:
Django posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:

They just arrested Edghill.

For what ?

For being an honest black man supporting what is right. 

The PPP should walk out of Parliament(I agree) and leave them to do what they want to do.  They are going to pass the bill anyway, so why delay the inevitable and put people in harm's way.

It's called the "Kim Jung Un way".

I am predicting Guyana's first civil war, happening under this PNC administration.  Y'all get ready for bloodshed.

(Django please file this under your cut and paste folder.  You will say Bibi said so.)

I don't doubt it. I have seen some brave coolie boys(with cutlass in hand) standing up to negroes. Now that the boys don't have any meaningful and permanent jobs to look forward to, they will indulge in whatever it takes for them to survive.

FM
skeldon_man posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:
skeldon_man posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:
skeldon_man posted:
Django posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:

They just arrested Edghill.

For what ?

For being an honest black man supporting what is right. 

The PPP should walk out of Parliament(I agree) and leave them to do what they want to do.  They are going to pass the bill anyway, so why delay the inevitable and put people in harm's way.

It's called the "Kim Jung Un way".

I am predicting Guyana's first civil war, happening under this PNC administration.  Y'all get ready for bloodshed.

(Django please file this under your cut and paste folder.  You will say Bibi said so.)

I don't doubt it. I have seen some brave coolie boys(with cutlass in hand) standing up to negroes. Now that the boys don't have any meaningful and permanent jobs to look forward to, they will indulge in whatever it takes for them to survive.

That is exactly why I say there will be a civil war.  Dem coolies fighting back this time.  

Bibi Haniffa

I think that we need to cool down a bit so that we can have some sort of discussion on the issues. I know from the posts yesterday that many, including me, had flashbacks of the PNC dictatorship, how little by little, that dictatorship was established   The hardships it imposed on the Guyanese people, and the struggles and years it took to eventually remove it and return democrary to Guyana. Many of us can see that pattern occurring again as the pnc continues to impose its will.

For me the issues are

1. Did the speaker allow enough time for a detailed examination of the national estimates generally and the specific department where several other departments were added?

2. Has the speaker shown impartiality in his handling of the house or has he been so partial to the government that the opposition or some of its members have lost confidence in him and his ability to impartially manage the affairs of the house?

3. Was the member justified in disobeying the speaker after being asked to leave the house? did the member have the right to refuse on the grounds of a wider or stronger moral imperative?

4. Were there other measures that could have and should have been taken instead of resorting to the police intervention?

5. Who called the police and did that person have the authority to do so or was the police acting under political direction?

6. Regardless of who called the police, is it proper for the police to enter the house and remove a member of parliament?

7. On a wider perspective, is this another step in moving to a dictatorship in Guyana?

These are critical issues and should form the basis of a fruitful discussion. There might be other issues I have missed.

 

Z
Bibi Haniffa posted:
 

I am predicting Guyana's first civil war, happening under this PNC administration.  Y'all get ready for bloodshed.

(Django please file this under your cut and paste folder.  You will say Bibi said so.)

You copying,i mentioned that in a post yesterday.

Django
Zed posted:

5. Who called the police and did that person have the authority to do so or was the police acting under political direction?

Who ever called erred,the Police have no right to enter the Hallowed Chambers of Parliament.

Never heard of such intrusion in Guyana's Parliament.

Former speaker Sase Narine said the Police should have been called in when the PPP was protesting during Granger speech in Parliament.

Django
Last edited by Django
Django posted:
Zed posted:

5. Who called the police and did that person have the authority to do so or was the police acting under political direction?

Who ever called erred,the Police have no right to enter the Hallowed Chambers of Parliament.

Never heard of such intrusion in Guyana's Parliament.

Former speaker Sase Narine said the Police should have been called in when the PPP was protesting during Granger speech in Parliament.

What is Sase Narain talking about?  He did the same thing to Boysie Ramkarran in 1983 when he was PNC Speaker.  But Boysie unleashed on him, called him a dictator, and tend to him well and pra pra.  He didn't call the police on Boysie.

Bibi Haniffa

This Govt and their 2 ASS LICKERS, the Drunk JHAAAAT and THE NAMAKARAM CRABDAAG and PARASITE only know to bully, violence, Dictatorship and committing crimes to stay in Power!!  These ANIMALS are worst than a PIG with MUD all over its body, and I an talking Piss Drain MUD!!!!

Nehru
Django posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:

They just arrested Edghill.

For what ?

Cannot be FAKE if it is on Video. Blindly condoning and supporting criminals is not allowed as per the Bhagavat Gita!!!!

Nehru

It is the norm since the coalition took office for the Speaker to bully the PPP MP’s.  The world now gets a small glimpse of the bullyism.  In many countries this  would have led to rebellion big time. 

alena06
Django posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:
 

I am predicting Guyana's first civil war, happening under this PNC administration.  Y'all get ready for bloodshed.

(Django please file this under your cut and paste folder.  You will say Bibi said so.)

You copying,i mentioned that in a post yesterday.

Apologies.  I didn't see your post.  So your dream finally come through.  Coolie will be falling like flies soon.

Bibi Haniffa
Bibi Haniffa posted:
Django posted:
Bibi Haniffa posted:
 

I am predicting Guyana's first civil war, happening under this PNC administration.  Y'all get ready for bloodshed.

(Django please file this under your cut and paste folder.  You will say Bibi said so.)

You copying,i mentioned that in a post yesterday.

Apologies.  I didn't see your post.  So your dream finally come through.  Coolie will be falling like flies soon.

Are you for real ?

Please get some help.

Django
alena06 posted:

It is the norm since the coalition took office for the Speaker to bully the PPP MP’s.  The world now gets a small glimpse of the bullyism.  In many countries this  would have led to rebellion big time. 

You are too old for this kinda thing. 

Mitwah
Bibi Haniffa posted:
Django posted:
Zed posted:

5. Who called the police and did that person have the authority to do so or was the police acting under political direction?

Who ever called erred,the Police have no right to enter the Hallowed Chambers of Parliament.

Never heard of such intrusion in Guyana's Parliament.

Former speaker Sase Narine said the Police should have been called in when the PPP was protesting during Granger speech in Parliament.

What is Sase Narain talking about?  He did the same thing to Boysie Ramkarran in 1983 when he was PNC Speaker.  But Boysie unleashed on him, called him a dictator, and tend to him well and pra pra.  He didn't call the police on Boysie.

Sase was Burnham stooge.

K
Mitwah posted:
alena06 posted:

It is the norm since the coalition took office for the Speaker to bully the PPP MP’s.  The world now gets a small glimpse of the bullyism.  In many countries this  would have led to rebellion big time. 

You are too old for this kinda thing. 

Not as old as you.  You are a PNC supporter in hiding like your buddy Django. 

alena06

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