PNM Doesn't Like Panday's Laptop

By SEAN DOUGLAS Saturday, March 29 2008

LEADER
of the Opposition Basdeo Panday yesterday defied House Speaker Barry
Sinanan’s order for him (Panday) to be ejected from the sitting of the
Lower House over use of his laptop computer without Sinanan’s prior
permission.

Sinanan suspended Panday from
the House indefinitely, having instructed the Government to move a
motion to expel him (Panday). He then ordered police officers present
to remove Panday “by force”.

Panday, supported by UNC A colleagues, refused to budge, later
telling reporters the ruling was illogical, contrary to Parliament’s
own thrust at modernisation and was proof he was being targeted by the
Government. Sinanan eventually adjourned the sitting.

As private members day, the House was due to continue debate on
Cumuto/Manzanilla MP Harry Partap’s motion hitting the Government for
“failing to contain food prices at affordable levels for the entire
population”. The incident, ironically, follows on the heels of the
Senate’s sitting on March 18 which laid the First Report of its House
Committee which “recommends Senators be provided with (i) Laptop
computers and (ii) Wireless Internet Connectivity.” (SEE PAGE 10)

Yesterday’s drama in the house began when Sinanan reminded MPs of
his prior circular that they must first seek his permission before
using electronic devices in the House and usage must be confined to
issues raised in debate to which MPs “intend to respond on the date on
which the permission was sought.”

Sinanan asked Sports Minister Gary Hunt if he would speak in the
debate to which Hunt replied “yes”. Sinanan then asked Panday, who
replied by saying he could not give an answer on if he would speak
until he heard how the debate was proceeding.

Sinanan ruled, “You have not sought my permission to use your
computer to contribute in today’s proceedings. If it is you are not
going to contribute in the debate today, I am asking you to put away
your computer.” Panday said Sinanan was behaving like a schoolmaster
and repeated his excuse. Couva South MP Kelvin Ramnath shouted to
Sinanan, “You came here with a plan to harass people.”

Sinanan then ruled: “I wish to draw the attention of the House to
standing order 43(5). I wish to indicate that the Member for Couva
North has shown disregard for the authority of the Chair. I am calling
upon a Minister to ‘name’ the Member for Couva North. I am naming the
Member for Couva North.” UNC A MPs then shouted in unison: “Shame!
Shame!”

House Leader Colm Imbert complied, amid Opposition shouts of
“Dictator!” Sinanan put the question to MPs and after a division, 23
Government MPs voted to suspend Panday, while 11 Opposition MPs voted
against.

“I will ask the honourable Member for Couva North to leave this
chamber and the precincts of the House.” Panday remained seated and
Ramnath dared Sinanan — “Why don’t you get the police involved?”
Sinanan then suspended the sitting for ten minutes and left the
Chamber.

Opposition MPs gathered around their leader. In the huddle,
Panday’s daughter, Oropouche West MP Mickela Panday, rested her hand
reassuringly on her father’s shoulder as if to calm him and they later
exchanged a confident “high-five” hand-slap.

When the House resumed, Sinanan saw Panday still present.
“Honourable Members, I wish to draw your attention to the fact that the
honourable Member for Couva North, Mr Basdeo Panday, has refused to
leave the House, withdraw from the House and its precincts. As such,
recourse to force is necessary to remove Mr Panday from the precincts
of this chamber. I therefore call on the police to remove the Member of
Couva North from this chamber and the precincts of this House.”

An incredulous UNC A MP shouted, “Boo!” A seated Panday related
aloud the tale of how former premier Albert Gomes has once similarly
been ordered ejected from the chamber. A police inspector and corporal
asked Panday to leave. Panday remained seated. UNC A MPs rose and stood
behind Panday’s chair, supporting their leader.

Ramnath scolded the police, saying, “You should be ashamed. You
have no authority here in the first place.” Sinanan ruled, “Pursuant to
standing order 43(12), the House is now adjourned.” Princes Town MP
Subhas Panday shouted, “Shame on you!”

Speaking to reporters later, Basdeo Panday vowed to return to the
House at its next sitting. He opined that the ruling PNM must be saying
“Thank God, Panday is no longer in Parliament.” He dared Sinanan at the
next sitting to expel all UNC A MPs who he said would all walk with
their laptops. “So, he will expel the whole Opposition on the stupid
ground that you are using a computer? I find it so strange.”

Panday said he was entitled to have his computer on in Parliament
even if he was unsure if he would speak in the debate. “For example, I
have on my computer all the false promises the PNM has made over the
years...it’s on my computer. That would be so many documents, I can’t
walk with that.”

Panday said there was no written rule banning computer use in
Parliament. “In fact the Speaker issued a letter and said he agrees
that electronic equipment can be used provided it does not disturb
anyone and I agree with that, but the only person who seems to have
been disturbed was the Speaker.”

He recalled police officers asking him to leave, saying, “I said
the Speaker has advised that you use force and therefore please use
force. The police said, ‘that won’t be necessary’ and I said ‘yes,
please use force, it will be necessary’.”

Panday accused Sinanan of putting PNM interests first and he
scoffed at the circular saying he would refer it to the party’s
lawyers, the media and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
(CPA).

“Incidentally, after that circular was sent, I did use the computer
in Parliament, as you know. What they gave us computers for? To sit
on?” He said the Opposition would not let Sinanan treat them like
children. Alleging ulterior motives, he said, “The issue is not about
computers; the issue is about Panday.”

He alleged that Sinanan was acting to block the Opposition from its
work of criticising the PNM. Caroni Central MP Dr Hamza Rafeeq said
neither the Standing Orders nor May’s Guide to Parliamentary Practice
banned the use of computers.

Asked where do they go from here, Panday quipped: “I go home, to use my computer.”

He promised that if expelled, the Opposition would take Parliament
to the people. “We will organise some tyre-burning, demonstrations and
public meetings in order to get what the people deserve. We shall take
Parliament outside of the Parliament.”