Published 23 May 2017
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, May 23rd 2017 – Judging from the behaviour of the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr. Michael Perkins, it is evident that he will continue his crusade to stifle democracy in the lawmaking body.
History was made in St. Kitts and Nevis a few months ago when the Speaker Perkins refused to allow debate of an opposition Motion of No Confidence against him.
The Speaker Perkins was accused of “holding himself as judge, jury, and executioner in refusing to allow debate on the Motion of No Confidence filed by the parliamentary opposition against him” on January 20th 2017.
Tuesday’s rulings by the Speaker are evidence that Mr. Perkins does not intend to allow the five opposition members to debate the issues in the Parliament.
The Motion of No Confidence filed on December 13th 2016 and rejected by the Speaker on January 20th 2017 without allowing it to be tabled for debate stated:
“The present holder of the Office, the Honourable Michael Perkins, has embarked on a course of conduct starting from the time he held the Office of Deputy Speaker that has given members of this House reason to question his impartiality as a result of his targeting of certain members of Parliament on the Opposition benches, and rulings concerning Members of Parliament who sit on the Opposition benches.”
“And whereas an example, of the Speaker’s conduct giving rise to concern over his impartiality, occurred when the Speaker then as Deputy Speaker, exercised his discretion during the Parliamentary Budget Debate in December 2015 to prevent the Member for St. Christopher 2, Hon. Marcella Liburd from speaking on the Appropriation Bill, 2016 (2015) in December 2015.”
“Another example of the Speakers conduct giving rise to concern over his impartiality occurred on 27th April 2015 during the recent debate on the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill 2016, the Speaker again exercised his discretion in a manner that prevented the member for St. Christopher 3, Hon. Konris Maynard and the Hon. Sen. Nigel Carty from speaking on the Bill and whereas in addition to the above, the Speaker’s several rulings against the members of the Opposition have given rise to concern over his impartiality.”
The Motion also outlines the decisions of the Speaker Michael Perkins when dealing with objections from the government benches.
“The Speaker rules that the Opposition member must withdraw their statements thereby effectively striking their statements from the records, but in general more often than not, when dealing with objections from members on the Opposition Benches, he does not rule that those on the government benches must withdraw their statements, but he simply asks them not to repeat the statements, thereby leaving the statements as part of the records,” pointing out further, that the “conduct to date has culminated in the unprecedented and unmerited ruling of the Speaker on Thursday 8th December 2016, which resulted in the suspension of Sen. the Hon. Nigel Carty during his presentation on The Appropriation Bill (2017) 2016.”
The Motion of No Confidence further noted:
“As a result of the conduct of the Speaker, the Parliamentary Opposition refused to take any further part in the continuation of the Budget Debate and that the Speaker has done nothing to assist the Leader of the Opposition in the setting up of the Office of the Leader of the Opposition and to assist in the setting up of the Public Accounts Committee.”
The five opposition parliamentarians are of the view that “there is now a continuous breach of the Parliamentary Rules in respect of the delivery to members of the Opposition their Notices for Parliamentary meetings and Order Papers and accompanying Bills in that they are more often than not delivered late.”
The MONC also notes that the Speaker is pictured among the Cabinet of Ministers of the Government in the photograph that adorns the front cover of the 2017 Budget Address thereby in this document; he is represented as part of the government.
“It is hereby resolved that members of this Honourable House, but in particular members of the Parliamentary Opposition in St. Kitts and Nevis express grave concern regarding the erosion of the freedom of expression in the National Assembly of St. Kitts and Nevis” and further resolves “that members of this Honourable House, but in particular members of the Opposition no longer have any confidence that they will be treated fairly by the Speaker, respected by the Speaker, and given a fair opportunity to represent the interest of their constituents in this House by this Speaker.”
The Motion of No Confidence also resolves that the Honourable House “declares the actions of the Honourable Speaker to be impartial,” and “that in order to protect freedom of expression in this Honourable House so that the members of the Opposition can properly represent the interest of the members of their Constituencies in this House, the Members of this House and in particular the members on the Opposition Benches in the interest of the Federation call upon Hon. Speaker Mr. Michael Perkins to resign as Speaker of the National Assembly.”
