Former House Speaker Barry Sinanan says the incumbent Speaker Wade Mark has made a major blunder during last Friday's sitting and should consider whether he should remain in the chair.It was during the debate on a private motion of no confidence brought by Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner that Mark said he received a notice from the High Court, dated January 16, 2015, on a matter. Mark said the matter was sub judice.
The Judiciary later said it had not issued any statement on the matter to Mark. Mark subsequently apologised to the Judiciary for the error.Mark is expected to make a further statement on the matter during tomorrow's sitting of Parliament.Sinanan said any Speaker in a recognised Commonwealth country, who did what Mark did, "would not think twice about doing the honourable thing."
Sinanan, in a ruling in 2005, on the issue of sub judice in the tea cup matter between Dr Keith Rowley, who was a minister, and Opposition MP Chandresh Sharma said he did not think the debate and publication of it "will influence Appeal Court judges in the civil appeal and also a magistrate sitting alone to hear a criminal complaint."Sinanan said the Constitution, which remains the supreme law of the land, guarantees freedom of speech.
Another former House Speaker Nizam Mohammed said what Mark did "was not an innocent mistake and the Speaker cannot exonerate himself from what he said."Mohammed said Mark's original statement was clear and unambiguous.Mohammed said Mark's statement "was calculated and deliberate. "Mark's action has done great injustice to the Parliament," he added.
Mohammed said Mark's ruling was "clearly intended not only to mislead the House but to deny (prevent) the proper functioning of it."Mohammed said Mark "should do the country a favour and resign."He said he wanted to know if Mark spoke with the Clerk of the House or even extended the courtesy to Warner about the communication with Howai.Mohammed said if Mark failed to inform Warner about the development it was "bias and unfair."