BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, Jan 21 2017 – Opposition legislators Friday stormed out of the St. Nevis Parliament after the Speaker, Michael Perkins denied debate on a motion of no confidence that had been filed against him.
Opposition leader Dr. Denzil Douglas led members of his St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) out of the Chamber after Perkins ruled that the motion, filed by the Opposition in December last year, would not be debated at the start of the first session of the Parliament for 2017.
“Any charge or imputation that seeks to question the impartiality of the Speaker is considered a breach of the rules of this House,” Perkins told lawmakers.
“Furthermore the motion makes use of phrases and description such as targeting certain members, preventing the member from speaking, unmerited ruling, which when taken contextually are disrespectful of the chair to say the very least and again is considered a violation…of the Standing Orders,” he added.
But Perkins, during his rule described the actions of the Opposition Leader Dr. Denzil Douglas as being “grossly disorderly” after the former prime minister intervened to indicate that he was not supportive of the ruling.
“Mr. Speaker I wish to take my leave from this Parliament. This is an injustice, an injustice it is,” Dr. Douglas said, telling his colleagues “let us all go.
“I am leaving your Parliament…you are unfair, you are unjust,” the former prime minister shouted as other legislators engaged in loud cross talk in the Chamber.
Douglas later said that the Speaker had sought to use the Standing Orders in a bid to frustrate legislators debating the motion based on the fact that any changes to a motion had to be done in a particular way.
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