{"id":174854,"date":"2023-06-01T08:17:05","date_gmt":"2023-06-01T12:17:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=174854"},"modified":"2023-06-01T08:20:28","modified_gmt":"2023-06-01T12:20:28","slug":"alister-thomas-is-it-a-vendetta-or-the-abuse-of-authority","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/alister-thomas-is-it-a-vendetta-or-the-abuse-of-authority\/","title":{"rendered":"ALISTER THOMAS: Is it a Vendetta or the Abuse of Authority?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Is it a Vendetta or the Abuse of Authority?<\/p>

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By Alister Thomas<\/p>\n

I have never done Latin. In fact, Latin was never taught at any of the schools I attended. Neither Moravian, St. John\u2019s Boys, Villa Primary or Princess Margaret School (PMS) Schools.<\/p>

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But somehow the Latin words \u201cconiuratio\u201d (PLOT) and \u201cconjuratio\u201d (PLOT) have been imposed on my mind, as I reflect on what seems to me and also to a large percentage of the public that the treatment of the opposition and independent members of the House of Representatives by the SPEAKER, Sir. Gerald Watts KC, seems purposefully and intentionally biased and partial.<\/p>

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Moreover, remarks directed to the opposition and independent members by the Speaker of the House and members of the government side have been condescending, insulting and demeaning.<\/p>\n

And I say this with understanding and acknowledgement of the tradition of cut and trust and the bantering which is a part of the culture that comes with Parliamentary and Senate sittings and debates.<\/p>

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But what has been happening and allowed to happen by the current Speaker of the House invites a Deja vu, of a reaction of some festering old grudge dating back in time to a general election debacle.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the member from St John\u2019s City West, Prime Minister Gaston Browne, and the members of the government side are permitted to get away with the damndest and lowest gutter sniping in the sitting of the Lower House of Parliament.<\/p>

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Before I proceed any further, permit me to quote from what is often referred to as the Parliamentary Bible, especially by the current Speaker of the House, Sir: Gerald Watts KC.\u00a0 \u00a0Erskine May\u2019s Parliamentary Practice 12th<\/sup> Edition, on page 234 states \u201cThe chief characteristics attaching to the Office of Speaker in the House of Commons are authority and IMPARTIALITY.\u201d<\/p>

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For this occasion, I will use the reference and meaning of the word \u201cIMPARTIALITY\u201d from the Oxford language. \u201cEqual treatment of all rivals <\/em>or disputants: fairness. Simply put, \u201cnot partial or biased: treating or affecting all equally. Impartiality. If we are to give credence to Erskine May\u2019s parliamentary practice as it pertains to the Speaker of the House we would have to agree that as a consequence of what has been taking place in Parliament that we would have no alternative but to burn all our copies of Mr. May\u2019s Parliamentary Practice.<\/p>\n

Mr. Pringle, Leader of the Opposition, and the member of All Saints East and St Luke and Trevor Walker, the member for Barbuda, \u00a0have both endured the experiences of Shadrach, Meshach, as they were subjected to the Speaker\u2019s parliamentary fire between 2018 and 2023. Only the 2 of them.<\/p>\n

And they alone were constantly served up the main courses of biasness and impartiality.\u00a0 Not one of the 15 members from the government benches was served the appetizer of biasness and impartiality.<\/p>\n

For some reason, the old adage of \u201cWet you hand and wait fu awe\u201d appeared to have been rehearsed before this new sitting of the House of Representatives. There is yet another adage that comes to mind. \u201cIf it looks like a fish, smells like a fish, swims like a fish, it\u2019s most likely a fish.\u201d<\/p>\n

We thought the worst of this nauseating bias and impartiality coming from the Speaker\u2019s Chair would have died a natural death in the last sitting of Parliament. Seeing that the government side sits uneasily with a one (1) seat majority razor-thin edge in Parliament of 9-8 while the combined opposition enjoys the overall popular majority vote.<\/p>\n

If we had any doubt that Parliament has become a political target range for members of the opposition to be targeted with bias and impartiality, the recent episode between the Speaker and Asot Michel in Parliament bears it out.<\/p>\n

It seems that Asot Michael continues to be the grudge target, with no protection of the Speaker from deliberate provocation –\u00a0 provocation which seems designed to derive an intended result.<\/p>\n

Consider the words of the learned attorney Hugh Marshall Jr, as he sets out the substantive case, pointing out the bias and impartiality on the part of the Speaker of the House Sir Gerald Watts KC\u00a0 against his client, Asot Michael.<\/p>\n

Please grasp the cogency of his opening argument: Lucid, unequivocal, and pellucid.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/strong>On the evening of 18th May 2023, the House, at your prompting and purporting to act pursuant to Standing Orders (SO) made under s57 of the Constitution, voted to suspend our Client for three (3) sittings. Having taken full instructions, which include a review of the audio and visual recording of the events, we are satisfied that the purported suspension of our Client was unlawful for the following reasons, namely: <\/strong><\/p>\n