Chester Hughes Says Standing Orders Allowed Pringle to Be Sworn In During Sitting
Opposition Senate Minority Leader Chester Hughes says parliamentary standing orders clearly allowed Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle to take the oath of allegiance during Tuesday’s sitting of Parliament, accusing the government of undermining democratic norms in its handling of the matter.
Speaking on Observer Radio after opposition MPs and senators walked out of the chamber before the Throne Speech, Hughes argued that while the Constitution requires members to take the oath before participating in proceedings, the standing orders specify when the oath should be administered.
“The Constitution speaks to what must happen to each member of the House, but the standing order says when it must happen,” Hughes said.
Hughes pointed to Standing Order 15 under Chapter 4, which he said outlines the order of business for each sitting of Parliament and includes “the oath of allegiance of a new member” as a standard item on the agenda.
“The standing orders of today’s sitting should have included, even if there was none to be administered, the oath of allegiance of a new member,” Hughes said.
He argued that the provision exists specifically to allow for situations such as by-elections, where a new member may need to be sworn in during an active parliamentary session.
“So the standing orders allow for the entry of a new member at any sitting. That’s why it’s an agenda, it’s part of the agenda,” Hughes said.
Pringle was asked to leave the joint sitting before the Governor General delivered the Throne Speech after it was determined he had not taken the oath following his re-election. Opposition members later exited the chamber in protest.
Hughes said opposition senators became suspicious before proceedings began after observing consultations involving Prime Minister Gaston Browne, Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin and other officials inside the chamber.
“We recognized … something’s going on over there now,” Hughes said, adding that opposition members observed government officials consulting advisers and making phone calls before the Sergeant-at-Arms approached Pringle.
The opposition senator also complained that key parliamentary documents had not been circulated ahead of the sitting, describing that as “the first red flag.”
Hughes said he attempted to raise the matter during the sitting but was not allowed to speak in defense of the opposition leader.
“What would have been the damage had they followed through with the other people?” Hughes asked, saying he simply wanted the oath administered before proceedings continued.
He accused parliamentary officials of focusing exclusively on constitutional provisions while ignoring the standing orders governing parliamentary procedure.
“They keep referring to the Constitution and not the standing orders,” Hughes said.
Hughes also criticized Senate President Alincia Williams-Grant for allowing the Attorney General to address the issue while allegedly preventing him, as Senate minority leader, from speaking on behalf of Pringle.
“She allowed the Attorney General to get up and speak to the subject matter … but did not allow me, as minority leader … to come to the aid and defense of the leader of the opposition,” Hughes said.
He warned that “all democracies are under threat with this kind of behavior by the government.”
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I am FED UP with UPP NOT following the Parliamentary procedures. On the first day of Parliament , UPP Members decided to walkout of Parliament. They began to look like a bunch.of SPOIL kids. Walkout of Parliament is the norm for UPP.
I have a message for JONATHAN WEHNER stop defending STUPIDITY. Your reputation will be destroyed very shortly
A parliamentarian cannot be officially seated in the Parliament, until he takes the oath of allegiance……YA FLIPPING DIFF!
UPP go to Parliament and do the People’s business and stop acting like a bunch of CRY BABIES. UPP upsetting me now. UPP looking for sympathy. JAMALE Pringle and His Senators looking very stupid.
What I saw in Parliament yesterday was very upsetting. I was surprised that my Friend Charlesworth Tabor called in to Observer Radio and ENDORSED UPP for walking out of Parliament . Mr. Tabor ,I am at a loss how you can lower your reputation for this IGNORANCE. Very disappointing.
Chester, Chester, Chester….
You should know better. Don’t start off on this foot.
What is next for UPP. Will UPP walk out of Parliament every time They disapprove of an issue. Very CHILDISH. UPP got a THRASHING from ABLP a couple of weeks ago. I thought They would learn something but I guess not… Let’s form a new political party.
Rt.Hon. Gaston Browne ( Prime Minister) single handedly destroyed the UPP.
UPP does NOT respect its own Constitution, so why expect upp to respect the Nation’s Constitution?
@PETE and @ZEENA, please cheer unna selves up, didn’t ABLP win the General Election?
Ah how you all miserable so?
Or is this just a deflection/distraction from ABLP’S and Gaston Browne’s 100 pre-election promises.
The heat na even start yet for YOUR government!
SO CHEER UP IN THE MEANTIME 🤣
Brixtonian the Muhammad Ali of ANR threads.
I float like a butterfly 🦋 and sting like a bee 🐝
Pow! Pow! 🥊🥊
@ ZEENA I believe you got my position all wrong. I never spoke to the walking out of Parliament by the UPP Members. The point that I was advancing was that an MP must be sworn in the House as required by section 48 (1) of the Constitution. However, I advanced the position that despite the fact that MP Pringle did not swear the Oath of Allegiance as yet he should have been allowed to stay in Parliament for the Throne Speech. All these are constitutional issues that we are still grappling with.
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