Oropouche East Constituency: Dictatorial Speaker Must Resign
The constituency executive of the Oropouche East constituency met in emergency session this morning and unanimously agreed to the following statement. The constituency summoned our member of parliament who gave his account of developments last Friday
It is highly regrettable that on the 75th anniversary of the defeat of fascism in World War 2, Trinidad and Tobago heard an expression of dictatorship from one of the highest offices in the land.
The inflammatory and autocratic statement Friday last from Bridgid Annisette-George, Speaker of the House of Representatives, undermines an important national office, one that ought to be politically detached. The unwarranted attack on our elected member of parliament is most tragic.
Dr Roodal Moonilal has an unblemished record of public service way in excess of the Speaker. The Speaker issued a “pamphlet” as an “announcement” to distract from her compromised position.
The Speaker cannot use the provision of “announcement” to make political statements. Whatever the Speaker’s view of our member of parliament’s decision to write the US authorities to indicate that he raised a matter in parliament and that the opposition is not part or support the violations of international sanctions is a political matter in which the Speaker has no place.
The Oropouche East constituency of United National Congress denounces the arbitrary and repressive tirade by Ms. Anisette-George against Dr Moonilal.
The constituency executive held an emergency meeting this morning and unanimously condemned the Speaker’s intemperate language in the House on Friday, and agreed that her outburst denigrated the Speaker’s chair.
The executive passed a resolution calling on Ms. Annisette-George to resign because of her totalitarian explosion and absence of balance and objectivity. If the speaker has a “modicum of decency” left she must resign particularly in the aftermath of the bombshell revelation of Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar which implicates her husband in an international fuelgate scandal in breach of global sanctions.
The executive noted, with grave concern, that throughout her tenure, Ms. Annisette-George has made no effort at impartiality or independence. It was further recalled that authoritarianism was not envisaged when the role of Speaker was established, under the Westminster system.
It is even more unfortunate and ironic that Ms. Annisette-George’s diatribe took place on the day the western world celebrated the Allied victory over repressive Nazi Germany, a war in which several Caribbean soldiers participated.
She has demeaned her office and lost the regard of a majority of Trinidadians and Tobagonians.
The Oropouche East constituency of UNC deplores Ms. Annisette-George’s tyrannical statements and calls on her to resign as Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The Oropouche East constituency stands firmly behind Dr Moonilal and calls on him to continue to fight for transparency and good governance. We see it as an affront to democracy that our representative sought to expose Rowley’s breach of international sanctions and the Speaker seek to sanction our representative.
In conclusion our constituency maintains that it is the right of any and all members of parliament to raise matters of urgent public importance to defend our constitutional rights and call the government to account when spending taxpayer’s money. In all these circumstances we call on the Speaker to resign forthwith!!!