Pressure mounts for PM to remove Dalrymple-Philibert as House Speaker

By Prince Moore   

 

Pressure is mounting for Prime Minister Andrew Holness to act to remove Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert as Speaker of the House of Representatives in light of the Director of Corruption Prosecution's ruling that she be charged for breaches of the Integrity Commission Act.

 

Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert is to be charged in relation to her statutory declarations filed over the period 2015 to 2021.

 

Founding Director of National Integrity Action, Professor Trevor Munroe, says Mr. Holness should ask Mrs Dalrymple-Philibert to step aside if he is serious about building public trust. 

 

"The Prime Minister correctly recognised, and here I quote from his statement in 2016: 'There is no doubt that significant numbers of Jamaicans have a lost hope in our system. Jamaican people want to see action in building trust.' This action in our circumstances today would be for the Prime Minister to meet with the Speaker and say to her it's best in our system to begin to arrest the decline in trust for you to step aside, having been charged. And of course, the issue of your resuming the position would arise in a context where you were found not to be guilty of the allegation," he suggested. 

 

Co-chair of the Advocates Network Robert Stephens believes there is no basis for Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert to remain in the post given the gravity of the situation. 

 

"She should have stepped aside before it was even presented. She should have stepped aside and allowed the deputy to present it, and then she could state her position and decide to step aside for the time being or whatever."

 

Added to that, Mr. Stephens said the issue was compounded when the House Speaker then silenced members of the opposition by not turning on their microphones when they attempted to speak. 

 

"[It] is an indication of an arrogance that really and truly is taking over the entire parliamentary debates and the whole approach to governance, and we certainly are not happy about that," he said, adding that a code of conduct is needed, otherwise democracy will be thrown out in favour of a dictatorship.

 

Mr. Stephens and Professor Munroe were guests Wednesday on Radio Jamaica's Beyond the Headlines.

 

Former parliamentarian K.D. Knight has said he would be disappointed if Prime Minister Andrew Holness allows Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert to remain as House Speaker at this time.

 

Mr. Knight told Radio Jamaica News that the situation "sends an awful message to the society", especially now when public trust in political representatives is waning, so decisive action should be taken by Mr. Holness. 

 

"Having regard to previous pronouncements by him, I would be disappointed and certainly surprised if she refuses to step down, that he wouldn't step in and ensure that someone acts as the Speaker," he proposed.   

 

While stressing that he was not commenting on Mrs. Dalrymple-Philibert's guilt or innocence in the matter, Mr. Knight said a motion should be moved in Parliament against her if she decides to remain in the position of Speaker, even with the charges hanging over her head.