By Prior Beharry
THE United National Congress (UNC) has written to House Speaker Bridgid Annessette-George to have Member of Parliament for Port of Spain North/St Ann’s West and Minister of Energy Stuart Young sent to the Privileges committee for his “zamie” comment he made in the Lower House last week.
The letter was signed Chief Whip David Lee.
The letter quoted what was said:
The Member (Young): “All allyuh go. He will run girls now for all ah allyuh in the back room. He cyah use the PTSC buses anymore though but he will bring the girls for all of allyuh now including Kamla.” (Laughter)
Minister of Finance: “They going and use the bathroom.”
The Member: “Yeah, she going and zami.”
Minister of Finance: “Aye, what wrong with you, boy?”
Minister of Health: “Oh God, Stuart!”
The Member: “Don’t call my name.”
Minister of Finance: “What wrong with you?”
The Member: “What the f***” (expletive used)
Minister of Finance: “Aye, boy, cool it. The mic on. (Laughter).”
The letter stated, “The Member used the words/statements to mean and are understood to mean in their natural or ordinary and inferential meaning that Opposition MPs and specifically the MP for Siparia, the current Opposition Leader and former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago were engaged in illegally and/or immoral and/or unethical conduct, in particular acts of prostitution.”
It added, “The Member then specifically referred to the Opposition Leader by name and stated ‘she going an zami.’ According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word ‘zami’ is defined as ‘a lesbian, a homosexual woman.’ The Member, therefore, went so far as to suggest that the Opposition Leader was going to the bathroom to engage in sexual acts of lesbianism.”
The letter stated, “Further, the Member exclaimed, ‘Don’t call my name,’ and then uttered an expletive. The expletive was obscene language. The Minister of Finance had to ask the Member to ‘cool it’ as the Minister of Finance warned the Member that the microphone was on.”
It stated that the words of Young may not have been heard by the Speaker but was broadcast live on the Parliament’s TV channel, radio station and YouTube Channel.
Lee asked that the matter be referred to the Committee of Privileges of the House for consideration and report.
The next move is for the Speaker to make a ruling and determine whether the matter qualifies to be sent to the Privileges Committee.
On Wednesday in a Facebook post Young apologised for his comments.
See related story below:
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word ‘zami’ is defined as ‘a lesbian, a homosexual woman.’
Therefore, when and where can the word be spoken?