By Sue-Ann Wayow
THE private motion filed by Independent Senator Anthony Vieira against the conduct of all Opposition Senators is frivolous, vexatious, baseless and without any Parliamentary merit says Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
On Monday, during the United National Congress (UNC) virtual report, Persad-Bissessar again knocked the Independent Senators who she referred to as “ PNM puppets” for showing an apparent biasness against the Opposition.
Addressing Viera, she said, “I want to remind you honourable senator, that nobody voted for you, Vieira. You were handpicked by a President who was hand-picked by the PNM. She has failed to answer serious questions on breaching the Constitution and is now hiding from the public. And now you move this motion to try and silence the voices of the elected Opposition. May I remind you that we were elected by over 309,000 people. We are their voices in the Parliament and outside of Parliament.”
Vieira has filed a motion that says all senators were duty-bound to “uphold the dignity, discipline and decorum of Parliament and defend it from disrespect.”
The motion is filed based on the events of the extraordinary sitting of the Parliament which was held on October 21 in which members of the Electoral College voted against the establishment of a tribunal to investigate President Paula-Mae Weekes for her alleged involvement with the Police Service Commission (PolSC) and the lack of appointment of a police commissioner.
Persad-Bissessar also spoke of the other independent senators in the 12th Parliament which “clearly shows that they view themselves as nothing more than Rowley’s rubber stamp.”
She said out of 16 occasions, Paul Richards has always voted with the Government 16 times, Vieira has voted 15 times, Charisse Seepersad -15 times, Dr Varma Deyalsingh -14 times, Hazel Thompson -14 times and Amrita Denonarine- 13 times.
She said, “These PNM puppets voted to gut the procurement legislation. They voted in favour of the property tax. They voted to preserve (Attorney General) Faris (Al-Rawi’s) flawed CoP selection order and parts of it was eventually struck down by the court. This is in contrast to Opposition Motions where the so-called Independents have not supported them, as they have done with the Government.
“Significantly, this includes them voting down the motion moved by Senator Wade Mark on the Annulment of the Commissioner of Police and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Selection Process) Order, 2021, when we saw Faris Al-Rawi introduce the unconstitutional law on our books.”
Persad-Bissessar also acknowledged that in the past, there were distinguished Independent Senators including Eastlyn McKenzie and Martin Daly.
