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Members of the parliamentary opposition walked out of the House of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon after an attempt by Opposition Leader Mark Golding to table a no confidence motion against Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness was blocked by Deputy Speaker Heroy Clarke.
The opposition sought to bring the no confidence motion in light of the Integrity Commission's investigation report on Dr. Holness's statutory declarations.
"Mr. Speaker, as there is a ministerial Code of Conduct in place from 2002 that governs the conduct of members of the Cabinet and whereas the Prime Minister did not inform the people of Jamaica that he was investigated by the Integrity..." Mr. Golding began to outline before being cut short.
Deputy Speaker Heroy Clarke, citing the Standing Orders, insisted the matter was inappropriate.
"I hear the first part of where you are going and [section 22], Notion of Motion, Amendment and Manner of Giving Notice, section 3 [says] if the Speaker is of the opinion that any notice of a motion which has been received by the clerk infringe the provisions of any Standing Order, in any way out of order, he may direct that the member concerned be informed that the notice of motion is out of order."
He also used the UK parliamentary handbook - Erskine May - to state that matters before the courts cannot be raised in a motion.
Mr. Golding attempted to continue, indicating he was not aware that the matter was sub judice or before the court, but he was again stopped in his tracks by the Deputy Speaker.
The opposition members then walked out of Parliament.
Prime Minister Holness and his attorneys on Monday filed a suit before the Supreme Court seeking judicial review of the decisions of the Integrity Commission not to certify his statutory declarations over a three-year period and to refer its findings surrounding his finances to the Financial Investigations Division.
After leaving Parliament, Mr. Golding and the opposition members took their no confidence motion to the streets, arguing that it underscores a pressing need for accountability and ethical governance in Jamaica.
The opposition cited a serious breach of the Ministerial Code of Conduct which mandates transparency and ethical standards from members of the Cabinet.
It charged that the Prime Minister has come under scrutiny for failing to disclose that he was under investigation by the Integrity Commission for possible illicit enrichment.
The motion calls for condemnation of the Prime Minister for failing to uphold ethical standards in government and censure for his actions of cover-up regarding the identities of those other parliamentarians under investigation.
It also calls for a declaration that his actions have severely undermined his credibility, leading to a loss of confidence within the House.
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