In a stunning move, speaker of the house for the St. Lucian parliament, Andy Daniel, ejected from parliament,the government minister for economic development, housing, urban, renewal, transport and civil aviation Guy Joseph.
Joseph was ejected after refusing to withdraw statements made against a member of the opposition, according to a Caribbean News Now report.
At the time, debate was being held on an Immigration Bill introduced by Prime Minister Allen Chastanet. The bill, in part, imposed new visa restrictions on Venezuelan nationals.
Chastanet maintains that much of the drugs and gun-crime on the island could be traced back to Venezuela.
During his contribution to the debate, Joseph said referring to the opposition, “You have a vested interest in the arms coming in.”
In his response, opposition Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) member, Ernest Hilaire, said to joseph, “I can see you teething, don’t worry; I can see your teeth smiling, don’t worry,” an obvious reference to the word teefing (thieving) used widely in colloquial language and Calypso in the Caribbean.
Daniel then asked Joseph to withdraw the statement to which Joseph responded “What statement” then he said “I’m not withdrawing.”
At this point Daniel politely asked Joseph to leave the house if he refused to withdraw the statement.
““I will leave the house,” Joseph responded, and then walked out of the chamber.
When asked to withdraw his statement opposition member Hilaire did so immediately.
While on the surface it seemed clear the minister was implying that the opposition was involved in or benefitting in some way from the arms trafficking in Venezuela, what he actually meant was left unexplained.
The opposition leader Phillip J Pierre, dismissed the statement as typical government vindictiveness. Perhaps, a relevant observation, Caribbean News Now suggests in considering the way the government may respond to speaker Daniel.
In St. Lucia and other Caribbean islands, the speaker is in all practicality appointed by the government of the day. While the current speaker showed remarkable courage and impartiality in facing down and holding the government members accountable. whether this courage will be rewarded or even tolerated remains to be seen.
The “Ole Speaker” in the Dominica Parliament could learn a thing or two from the young Speaker of St Lucia; it’s not her fault at her age she may be suffering from “Time-to-GO”.
All u think Alex going to mess up her job by ejecting DLP members
Ms. Knight that is how you do it—– Respect is earned not bought……….wishful thinking Alex–not you.
Bravo, DNO! Then, at some point, you will pontificate again about not being the “mouthpiece” for any entity’s agenda.
We see right through you, DNO.
ADMIN: This is a story from another news outlet in another country. While still legitimate news, any views expressed would be from that news agency.
Peeping To, I think DNO is meerly reporting the news here, not making it. I also think comments related to this story should be directed toward the origin of this story, not toward DNO. But your will be done sir, not ,mine!
Go ahead Tom. Show your true colors…. not your patriotism to State.
big man acting like little girls. nothing new in Caribbean politics. he say they say i say.
Oh oh a speaker can be neutral then, regardless of party in office? Sssh don’t tell that to Dominica’s.
Our speaker needs to take a page from that speakers book.
St Lucia is a REAL country.Dominica is a failed state, where the speaker of the house behaves as if she is a DLP politician.Remember how Austrie dragged Joseph Issac’s entire body to the ground re his bad management and failed bakery in the house?Thanks God honourable Linton was present to help Issac. What did the speaker do?She never intervened…When the intelligence of the opposition is exposing the weaknesses of the polluted DLP cabal,it gets under her skin and she deliberately disturbs their trend of thought.She will never eject a DLP politician from the house,fearing that she herself will be ejected from her job.
What a Dominica in which we are living!!!!!
Where The Wicked Rule The People Mourn!!!!!
This DLP is a Wicked and Evil Party!!!!
@ %Well if Dominica is a failed state why dont you 4xxxx to that big black hole you came from!!!!
Very courageous on the part of the speaker. Let us see how he is handled by those who appointed him, the ruling party, a member of which he put out!
Mr not like Alix boyd night neh parl.. yes i
I wonder if that day will come in Dominica? Not as long as the current speaker remains in office! What’s going on in the parliament of Dominica has precious little to do with Democracy. People wake up, it’s 2 minutes to 12.
This cannot happening in Dominica the one party State.
I can’t wait to see how this is Skerrit fault or how Skerrit caused it!!lol
This Speaker should be showered with praise for bring unbiased and courageous. These politicians besmirched people’s reputation in the House. The present Speaker of this country needs to grow a spine. The goodly woman has become intoxicated with her authority. Her uttering and decisions are usually outlandish and laced with bias.
Frankly, if the Speaker of the House in Dominica is “spineless” it has been in favour of the UWPWee because she has been way too soft on the often ill-disciplined conduct of UWP parliamentarians. Do you remember the countless times when she has literally begged UWPwee MPs to sit or yield or adhere to this or that Order? I have often felt that she should have thrown out a few of them; notably, MPs for Marigot, Roseau North, Salisbury, and Senator Baptiste. These guys make a mockery of the rules of the House and the Chair of the Speaker. So, if she is soft, it is totally in favour of the UWP.
Are we in the same country?
Ido, every thing about Labour government is bias according to you guys, But when it comes to Lennox Linton, and his coons and rattle snakes behaving badly in Parliament and elsewhere that is ok is it???
Really? Are we in the same country?
That IS a speaker, in the true sense, as it should be, IMPARTIAL.