The parliamentary opposition parties staged a walkout at last Thursday’s sitting of the National Assembly, after Speaker Ralph Ramkarran disallowed PNCR-1G MP Aubrey Norton from proceeding with his presentation until he apologised for offending remarks.
During the debate on the motion for the observance of Commonwealth Day celebrations, Norton was cautioned about his presentation and asked to deal with the substantive motion before the House. The motion, in the name of Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, resolved the House to reiterate its recognition and support of the efforts of the Commonwealth to address emerging and old challenges, its endeavours to promote a world of freedom and equality and development and prosperity of all people, especially the young and women.
Norton explained that he was seeking to establish that there were actions in the society that do not promote democracy. At this point, Ramkarran noted that he was advised that the motion had been sent to Opposition Leader Robert Corbin since last year and despite several reminders there was no response from him. Norton, in reply, said Corbin was not present to defend himself.
“I am the Speaker of the House and I am telling you from the Speaker’s Chair,” Ramkarran told him, “What defence [do] you expect Mr Corbin to make? That I am lying?”
Norton said, “I didn’t say that. If you conclude that, I can live with it.”
At this point, Ramkarran told Norton that unless he apologised to him immediately, he would be disallowed from speaking again in the House.
Acting PNCR-1G Whip Debra Backer subsequently asked Ramkarran whether he would indicate what the offending remarks were so they could be withdrawn.
“I have no intention of so doing,” Ramkarran said. “The honourable member is knowledgeable enough, intelligent enough, to know exactly what I am saying and exactly what he did and exactly what offence he committed.”
AFC MP Raphael Trotman then noted that the issue before the House had been lost. He said he wished it would be passed and indicated that he had nothing further to say. Afterward, MPs from the PNCR-1G and the AFC walked out of the House.
The motion was later passed in the absence of the opposition parties.
On Friday, the PNCR in a statement, charged that the Speaker attempted to restrict Norton’s remarks, on the grounds that the motion was a consensus motion that had been forwarded to the Leader of the Opposition since last year. According to the party, whether the motion was sent to the Leader of the Opposition or had the support of the PNCR was not in question and irrelevant.
It stated that the issue was whether the motion provided an opportunity to review the record of the administration, in the context of the rule of law and the promotion of democracy.
The party stated that the wording of the motion as outlined was clear and that it was obvious that Norton was “muzzled” after he began to “expose the undemocratic and dictatorial nature of the PPP/C regime and to prevent him from continuing further exposure of the corrupt and repressive [Bharrat] Jagdeo regime.”
Meanwhile, the ruling PPP condemned Norton’s “disgraceful conduct” as well as the opposition’s “approbation” of his behaviour. In a statement, the party said Norton launched into a “vicious attack” on the Guyana Police Force and the Government of Guyana, completely ignoring an earlier decision of the Common-wealth Parliamentary As-sociation (CPA) and the protocol associated with such motions.
It noted that at a recent meeting of the Guyana branch of the CPA at which the opposition was represented, it was decided that a non-controversial motion would be presented which would be supported by all the parliamentary parties. It added that the motion could not have conceivably caused offence to the PNCR, which raised no objections and suggested no amendments prior to the sitting.
The PPP said after allowing Norton more latitude than he deserved, Ramkarran, whose tolerance in permitting departures from relevance is well known, intervened. It added that “the walkout of the opposition after the Speaker’s ruling and the PNCR’s later statement justifying it and attacking the Speaker, not only demonstrate their disrespect for the Commonwealth, as well as the theme ‘Women As Agents Of Change,’ and for the National Assembly, but is insulting to Speaker Ramkarran who has treated both sides of the House with courtesy, respect and impartiality throughout his two terms of office.”
