Testy exchanges in Parliament as gov't takes Golding to task over 'dead voters' quip

 

There were testy exchanges between Opposition Leader Mark Golding and Portland Member of Parliament Daryl Vaz in the House of Representative on Tuesday afternoon over statements made by Mr. Golding on the political platform on the weekend.

 

Mr. Golding has been coming under heavy criticism from members of the Jamaica Labour Party who have accused him of encouraging voter fraud by insinuating that ballots can be cast on behalf of dead voters.

 

Mr. Vaz called for Mr. Golding to apologise for his comments, arguing that the Leader of the Opposition "has no moral authority to get up in this Parliament and speak about any issue until he clarifies" the statement he made on the political platform. 

 

Mr. Golding rejected the call for him to apologise.

 

"I raise the issue in relation to the audit reports' non-tabling when we were discussing announcements because in the previous week, there was a discussion and a tabling of the PICA report, and on the list of items tabled today under announcements, it did not include the National Works Agency report. And that is why I raise the issue under announcements. What Minister Vaz is seeking to do here is something totally unrelated to what we have been discussing in relation to announcements and the question of what is the content of what has been tabled here today. It is most improper and should not be permitted. It's an abuse of parliamentary procedure and I'm not going to be party to that," the Opposition Leader insisted. 

 

There were also heated exchanges between Manchester Member of Parliament Mikael Phillips and Deputy House Speaker Juliet Holness during the dispute.

 

In defence of the Opposition Leader, Mr. Phillips accused the Deputy House Speaker of allowing comments made at a political meeting to be discussed on the floor of Parliament.

 

Mr. Phillips also accused Mr. Vaz of making a false statement that "members of the Opposition support his stance on Mr. Golding".

 

The House then descended into chaos. 

 

"Madam Speaker, I rose on a point of order because the member over there made some allegations on members on this side. And if it is that the member has proof in what he said - the member said that members on this side colluded with him for him to make the statement that he is, and he needs to provide the proof or withdraw that forthwith, Madam Speaker," Mr. Philllips demanded. 

 

As he suggested that members were "actually making a mockery of the Parliament", Deputy House Speaker Juliet Holness urged him to "stop right there" and take his seat. 

 

But an irate Mr. Phillips accused the Deputy Speaker of abusing her position. 

 

In response to calls from St. Thomas Western MP James Robertson and Mr. Vaz for the Opposition Leader to be censured, MP Angela Brown Burke also bashed the Deputy Speaker for her management of the sitting and made it clear that the opposition will not be "bullied" by the majority.

 

"Members on this side have not taken any liberty that was not given. You allowed the Leader of Opposition to make the statement. And therefore, you can't talk about him opening the floodgates because if he opened it, then so did you by agreeing to him for him to speak," she told the Deputy Speaker.

 

"You are not going to get members on the opposition benches to be quiet because if we get up and ask a question, there are members who are going to operate in the way Member Vaz did. That kind of bullyism will not work with this opposition."