Opposition Chief Whip, Christopher Jones has submitted a Motion of Reprimand and Censure against the Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy. The motion was seconded by MP, Amanza Walton-Desir, and was submitted to the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, today.
See motion below:
MOTION OF REPRIMAND AND CENSURE
WHEREAS the Standing Orders of the National Assembly seek to regulate the conduct and behaviour of Members; both during and outside of sittings of the National Assembly;
AND WHEREAS there are established customs, conventions, practices, and norms, and especially for member Assemblies of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, that seek to inform how Members, who are given the honorific of “Honourable,” should conduct themselves, both as Members of Parliament and as exemplars in the wider society;
AND WHEREAS the Member, Mr. Kwame McCoy, has, since the commencement of the 12th Parliament of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, conducted himself within the Chamber as less than honorable in that, he has hurled mean, nasty, demeaning, disrespectful, and abusive invectives and insults at members, and especially female members, within the presence and hearing of the Speaker, Members of the Assembly, Staff of the Parliament Office, the Media and guests;
AND WHEREAS this conduct has been relentless and unabated, despite pleas by Members to him, and to the Speaker, for him to cease and desist;
AND WHEREAS on the 3rd March, 2021, whilst outside of the Chamber, the Member, Mr. Kwame McCoy, physically abused the Member, Mrs. Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, when he struck her in the face with his mobile phone device in hand;
AND WHEREAS the APNU+AFC opposition was unsuccessful in its attempt to have Mr. McCoy removed from the Chamber to allow the Members of the Assembly to safely conduct the business before it, pending the determination of the complaint made by the Member, Mrs. Tabitha Sarabo-Halley;
BE IT RESOLVED that this National Assembly:
1. Condemns the attitude, conduct and behaviour of Mr. Kwame McCoy towards Members of the National Assembly and call on him to issue an apology to the Assembly and to the Member, Mrs. Tabitha Sarabo-Halley specifically.
2. Prohibits Mr. Kwame McCoy from attending any sittings of the National Assembly, including meetings of Committees, for a period of six (6) months;
3. Issues a reprimand and censure against the Member Mr. Kwame McCoy for his conduct and behaviour since the commencement of the 12th Parliament, and specifically on the 3rd March, 2021, as being unbecoming of a Member of Parliament.
Before the committee of privileges to be disciplined
