Scotland to school Parliamentarians over breach of privileges

Last Updated on Wednesday, 4 May 2016, 15:05 by

The manner in which some members of Guyana’s National Assembly conduct themselves in the House is under scrutiny as House Speaker Dr Barton Scotland will be looking to take action against offenders.

Dr Scotland at a sitting on Wednesday noted that in the past months he has received several complains that warrant his sanctioning.

He said he intends to “review and treat” with all such complains as put to him noting that the rules of the House dictate that all members be held in strict regard.

“Dignity and respect must be upheld by all members of the House,” he said noting that duty should be well known to all members of the house

He noted that some Junior members of the House have used social media to lampoon other members and Speaker, slamming the conduct as “reckless and careless regard.”

PPP MP Nigel Dharamlall had taken to social media in the last months to complain about the Speakers conduct.

In a Facebook post Dharamlall said “You will go down as the most disgusting Speaker in the last 50 years,” referring to Dr Scotland.

Dharamlall sought to justify his outburst on Facebook in an interview with Demerara Waves Online News.

“I did because personally I think the position of the Speaker has to ensure that there is some semblance of order in the House -and the same whip that the Speaker uses on the Opposition – I don’t think that the Speaker is balanced, he ought to be also using that same approach to the government,” he stated.