Opposition Vs Speaker In Court

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Opposition Parliamentarian Hon. Konris Maynard

By: Spokesman Newsroom

BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (FEBRUARY 2018) –Accusations of stifling democracy made against Speaker of the National Assembly Hon. Michael Perkins by the opposition St.Kitts-Nevis Labour Party could possibly intensify to court action being taken stemming from an alleged “illegal” ruling this week.

Parliamentary Representative for Constituency Three (West Basseterre) Hon. Konris Maynard speaking on this week’s Party-sponsored programme ‘Issues’ aired Wednesdays on FreedomFM (106.5) gave reasoning as to why “the time has come for us to take action.”

An Opposition trio- Leader Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, Sen. Nigel Carty and Maynard, during the Tuesday’s (13th February) sitting of Parliament, walked out of that session as a show of protest after Douglas and Carty did not get an opportunity to give their presentations in relation to The St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports (Amendment) Bill, moved and closed off by the Minister of Public Infrastructure and Transport Ian ‘Patches’ Liburd.

The Opposition is claiming that its two members were denied their constitutional right to speak by Speaker Perkins.

According to Maynard, “traditionally, the Labour Party has held on to the side of being right and letting just the people’s court be the determining factor but the time has come for us to take action and here is why.”

He then explained: “In our rules Standing Order which governs the debate in parliament, Section 41(1) is the Right Of Reply. The mover of a Motion which is ‘Patches’ in this case may reply after all the  other members present  have had an opportunity  of addressing the national Assembly and before the question is put and after such reply , no other member may speak expect as provided in paragraph  two of this Standing Order. What he did (Tuesday) was in fact illegal and we will have to take this to the court.”

Speaker Hon. Michael Perkins

Maynard continued: “By refusing to allow Dr. Douglas and Hon. Carty to speak (Tuesday), the Speaker was in breach of the rules of the House and I am going to fight this. We cannot any longer sit and allow Michael Perkins to destroy our democracy. What he did (Tuesday) was illegal and there was another instance where none of us on the Opposition benches were allowed to speak. It was illegal then. We have enough to take this to court and this is what we shall do.”

That day during the National Assembly session, Speaker Perkins made a ruling to suspend Maynard citing dishonourable conduct in violation of the Standing Order.

He agreed with a motion moved by Leader of Government Business Hon. Eugene Hamilton that the action of the Opposition in his (Perkins) view was “calculated to bring this House into disrepute.”

Addressing the matter of Freedom FM, Maynard told: “I will be writing to the Speaker to inform him that his decision to suspend my service from the Parliament (Tuesday) was unlawful and invalid.”

As a result, Maynard does not intend to sit out of the next House of Assembly session slated for next week (Wednesday 21st February) as he has been named to.

Additionally, he has outlined that if he was disorderly or found to be grossly disorderly, the Speaker should first ask him to withdraw from the National Assembly.

“He did not ask me to withdraw from the House as clearly I was leaving the House. But he needed to exercise brute force and brute power immediately. I will not accept it anymore,” he stated to his radio audience.

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