Opposition chief whip Marlene McDonald says former prime minister Patrick Manning broke party ranks when he voted in support of a motion in his name in Parliament yesterday.Manning's motion was asking the House to allow his attorneys to address and question witnesses who are called to assist the Committee of Privileges probe against him.Manning was referred to the Committee of Privileges months ago for making certain allegations about the private home of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, during a debate in Parliament.
McDonald spoke with reporters during yesterday's House of Representatives tea break. She said she had "summoned" Manning to a party caucus to discuss his motion last week. Manning attended the meeting. She said when the motion was examined, "we recognised that the whole intention of the motion was to turn the Privileges Committee into a court of law."McDonald said after Manning left the meeting the caucus "unanimously agreed" to second the motion and that the motion be amended.
She listed the demands the caucus made on Manning:
• the removal of the (legal) representations to the committee; and
• the requirement to cross-examine witnesses.
Mc Donald told reporters she subsequently informed Manning of those requirements, but he refused to comply.McDonald said the caucus agreed to abstain when the vote was taken because Parliament regulated its own business.She said the decision to abstain from yesterday's vote was the official PNM position.Asked to comment on the position taken by Browne, McIntosh and Jeffrey, she said that was "a matter for the political leader."