By Sue-Ann Wayow
OPPOSITION Members of Parliament have once again left Parliamentary sessions and this time, they were asked to leave.
House Speaker Brigid Annisette-George had stern warnings for MPs Rudranath Indarsingh and Saddam Hosein on Friday during the House of Representatives sitting before Parliament goes into recess.
While Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi was speaking on the status of the Tobago Self-Governance Bills, he was interrupted by Hosein who was instructed to sit down by Annisette-George.
“Can you sit down please?” she asked twice, the second time more forcibly.
She said, “Member, I have asked you on two occasions to sit down. I am not recognising you and if you persist, I now ask you to leave.”
When Hosein interjected, the House Speaker insisted, “ I ask you to leave for the rest of the day.”
The Parliamentary marshall was asked to assist with Hosein’s exit.
At that point Indarsingh took to his feet objecting that the Opposition should not be subjected to insulting language from the other side.
He too was asked to sit down.
“The Government members are using insulting language here,” Indarsingh stated.
Annisette-George said, “Member for Couva South, I ask you to stand up and withdraw your outburst.”
Indarsingh responded, “I did not hear you clearly Madam Speaker.”
Then she said, “I am not going to ask you again, I now ask you to leave the Chamber.”
Speaking to AZPNews.com afterwards, Indarsingh said he was not being sarcastic when he told the Speaker, he did not hear her clearly.
Indarsingh who remained nearby to the Chamber after his exit said he felt it was necessary to stand up for his colleagues.
“I was duty bound to defend my colleagues from the onslaught that was taking place. All I was doing was seeking clarification and guidance from the House Speaker,” he said.
Indarsingh said that Parliamentary work must go on despite the disruptions and the remaining MPs were doing a good job at holding down the fort.
