The PNM's San Fernando East constituency began a silent protest last night against the suspension of MP Patrick Manning from the Parliament on Monday, constituency chairman Tina Gronlund-Nunez confirmed.While no end date was given for the suspension, Parliament officials indicated the suspension may last for a month until the current session of Parliament prorogues around June 17.The suspension arises from a report of Parliament's Privileges Committee.Manning was found guilty of contempt by the committee after he made allegations last November about Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's house.
In a House vote on the issue on Monday, 25 Government MPs voted for suspension while the nine Opposition PNM MPs, including leader Keith Rowley, voted against.Manning was en route to Cuba for a medical check-up when the news broke.The suspension was made "with immediate effect" but no end date was annnounced, the PNM noted yesterday.PNM MP Colm Imbert said it was therefore not clear to the PNM how long the suspension was.He said: "There are two schools of thought, one, that the suspension lasts until the end of the session in June, or, that it could continue indefinitely until the Speaker says."
Parliament yesterday confirmed that the session will prorogue around June 17, a year after the first session began. Officials there said it was likely the suspension would end when the session prorogues.They indicated that if Manning had to return earlier, a motion on this would have to be debated and passed by the House where the PP Government has a 29-seat majority and the PNM has 12 seats.San Fernando East chairman Gronlund Nunez said constituents were staging a silent protest at the constituency's Coffee Street, San Fernando, office against the development.