Trotman accuses Jagdeo of “undermining efficacy” of Parliament

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman says that Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo is undermining the efficacy of the National Assembly by addressing concerns that his Party may have in the public domain before taking it to the Speaker of the House.

Trotman was at the time responding to a situation that had arisen whereby Jagdeo had stated that the Speaker Dr Barton Scotland was “extremely partisan.”

Similar accusations have come from other Opposition Members of the National Assembly including Nigel Dharamlall who had recently taken to Facebook to express his frustration with Dr Scotland.

“You will go down as the most disgusting Speaker in 50 years,” Dharamlall said in one post and “The Speaker of the House is very biased and unfair” in another post.

However in an invited comment, Trotman shared a different view on the undertakings in the House. The Former Speaker declared that both sides of the House will test the effectiveness of the Speaker.

“I actually think that the Speaker has been doing an excellent job, he has been tolerant and I think both sides will test the speaker,” said Trotman.

He went on to indicate that there are rules of the House should be abided by all members and the more the Speaker seeks to enforce the Standing Orders; more accusations of bias are going to be spewed.

“The more you do so the more the accusations of bias are going to come,” he said.

The Minister also lambasted Jagdeo for not following proper parliamentary procedure as it relates to concerns he may have with the Speaker of the House.

“If it is that one side of the House has a specific problem with the Speaker then the procedure is that they may write him or meet with him to discuss it…it is improper trying to go about publicly trying to castigate the Speaker because in so doing you are undermining the efficacy of the House,” said the Natural Resources Minister.

Meanwhile, PPP Chief Whip Gail Teixeira at a press conference stated that the PPP will not make themselves victims.

Teixeira stated that the PPP “will continue” to uphold the Standing Orders of the House. (Jomo Brusheildon Paul)