INDEPENDENT Senator Anthony Vieira is giving conflicting opinions regarding Service Commissions and the Opposition will continue to protest for proper constitutional implementation across board.
Opposition Chief Whip David Lee has described his remarks as “disparaging.”
Vieira had said he was appalled at the behaviour of the Opposition during the extraordinary sitting of the Parliament and that the Opposition was exhibiting double standards.
Lee, in a statement on Tuesday said, “One would have thought that he would have agreed or found common ground with the Opposition based on the principles which he vehemently argued in his Private Motion debate on 17th November 2020, when he called for reform of the Service Commissions, specifically listing the Police Service Commission, based on their role to protect against political influence amongst other things.”
“Ironically, when concluding the debate in January 2021, Senator Vieira called on the entire senate to ‘support this Motion to strengthen and rejuvenate these important institutions.’ How could the esteemed Senator have argued for such protection, for such reform and rejuvenation months ago, yet when one of the very institutions fell into unparalleled disrepute as never seen before in our nation, causing a constitutional crisis, he condemned the actions of the Opposition to seek answers?” Lee asked.
He said the Opposition’s behaviour was undertaken to protest the severe infringements against one of the very service commissions which the Senator highlighted in his motion from being swept under the carpet with no debate or parliamentary discussion.
The Pointe-a-Pierre MP said, “Opposition Members of Parliament in either House will not be deterred by these statements because we were and will continue to undertake our elected duty to protect the constitution as well as its enshrined institutions.”
