The Parliamentary Opposition has deemed tomorrow’s sitting of the National Assembly to discuss the consequences of the No Confidence Motion as “unconstitutional” and has called for it to be cancelled.
The call was made in a letter, issued today by the Opposition but dated December 31, 2018. It was sent from PPP Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland. The Opposition is contending that the scheduled sitting flies in the face of the law and emphasized that it will not participate in “undermining the Constitution”.
In the letter, Teixeira said that there is no need to “rescind a resolution on a question already decided on in the same session.” The Opposition is maintaining that the No Confidence Motion of December 21, 2018, was conclusively dealt with, therefore removing the need for any further discussions by the National Assembly. The Opposition further stressed that not only is the matter not open to review but that the Speaker has no such review powers over the motion.
Noting that a No Confidence Motion requires the resignation of the Cabinet, including the President, the Chief Whip said, “It is not competent for the Government to move, nor participate in, a sitting of the National Assembly, otherwise than to give effect, if required, to the letter and spirit of Article 106(7) of the Constitution.”
The Chief Whip further said that the motion was acknowledged by the National Assembly as having been passed, and even President, David Granger, and Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, had given statements which supported the legality of the motion.
The Government, however, has now indicated its intention to have the motion reviewed and has shared that it will go as far as having the matter brought before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
