Dear Editor,
The Guyana Parliament has sunken to a new low, that is, persons become easily offended when a simple question is asked about their horrible past. It seems that no one on the government side can question a member of the opposition on any matter. This became forcibly clear when The Honourable Minister for Education Priya Manickchand was banned from speaking in the national assembly. The Centre of all of this is a statement rather a question asked by the minister she said “ask Sharma, ask your APNU member Sharma.” The Honourable Minister for Education was seeking clarification from the opposition member on the worrisome and contentious issue of statutory rape. We are well aware of the member of parliament’s father having several run ins with the law on this matter, so this is a very good way to start the discussion.
Instead of doing the mature thing in ignoring the question, Jaipaul Sharma quickly asked for an apology to which Speaker Trotman obliged. Minister Manickchand stood her ground and did not make an apology hence the speaker went ahead and banned her from taking part in further proceedings of the house. Now this is utter foolishness! Can you give me a valid reason why a minister is barred from taking part in the rest of the proceedings of the house? What parliamentary procedural breach did she violate? Why should the minister be banned when all she was doing is seeking clarification on a matter? The minister was simply asking the presenter to turn the searchlight inwards by questioning someone right in her midst – of her own party – before bringing it to the full house. The minister was asking Volda Lawrence to do her homework with APNU member Jaipaul Sharma first before coming public.
I would ask the Minister of Education to make a humble apology reasons being, I would like those very important matters of education to be discussed. However, when it’s my turn to speak I will take the opportunity to raise the topic again with a polite question “Could APNU Member of Parliament Sharma shed some light on this matter? The point is this, if Trotman wants to turn the honourable house into a circus, then we are in this game together. If Trotman wants to be so childish then he must be given a strong dose of his own medicine. We can play the game. In fact I would ask Minister Manickchand to include in her deposition the important item of statutory rape as it relates to young boys – there is a very serious matter engaging the court right now with a popular radio announcer. Talk about serious issues of statutory rape and sexual perverts well, they have opened a can of worms on this matter.
There should be no gag order on the minister on a simple matter as this. Something of this nature could have been brushed aside with a non response from the opposite side, that is, if they were a mature and responsible group. But that is far from these losers who see parliament as a place where they can play out their small-mindedness helped by a speaker who accommodates them. Parliament is not a place for thin-skinned babies but a place for grown men and women who can withstand constructive criticisms and not flinch.
Neil Adams
Source: https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2014/04/04/why-should-minister-manickchand-apologize/