It was political theatre at its worst, with desk thumping, shouting, muted microphones and frequent interruptions in the place at the heart of T&T’s democracy, the Red House.
There have been moments of high drama there before. July 27, 1990, was by far the worst of those events. However, in any ranking of moments of parliamentary infamy, the October 21, 2021, convening of the Electoral College will claim a top spot.
It was a shameful blemish on the country’s democratic systems, not helped by the accusations hurled at subsequent press conferences hosted by the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader.
In a nation already deeply divided, the political fault lines grew deeper in just over two hours of acrimonious proceedings in the hallowed chambers of Parliament. There were no winners, only losers and T&T and its democratic systems were the biggest.
The extraordinary sitting convened to deal with an Opposition motion to remove President Paula-Mae Weekes was expected to be contentious but what transpired was a rapid descent into chaos that reflected poorly on the Westminster ideals on which this country’s Parliament is modelled.
Those traditions, customs, and definitions, crafted over many centuries by our former British rulers, were intended to foster responsibility and accountability from those who occupy seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Sadly, there was none of that yesterday.
Instead, that sitting of the Electoral College stood in sharp contrast to one convened more than three years ago, on March 19, 2018, when in a cordial atmosphere, the two sides unanimously elected Paula-Mae Weekes as the first woman in this country to hold the office of president.
A month before that historic sitting, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, and Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar were able to lead their sides to consensus on the sole nominee for the office.
With the same two leaders and political parties still in place, history was made again at the Electoral College, this time for all the wrong reasons, in a session punctuated by incessant interruptions from Opposition representatives as Government MPs sat in silence and House Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George tried unsuccessfully to restore order.
Simmering discontent over developments involving the Police Service Commission and glaring missteps in the recruitment of a new police commissioner boiled over yesterday.
Sequels are likely in the coming days. Another court ruling is expected to shake up the currently non-functioning PSC and there is a warning from Mrs Persad-Bissessar that a no-confidence motion will be filed against the prime minister. She also signalled the beginning of an October Revolution.
The bipartisanship displayed when a new president was installed in March 2018 seems elusive now. The government and opposition are trading insults and accusations at a rate that leaves little space for the consensus so vital for effective governance.
Bringing T&T back from the brink after the unsavoury events of the past few weeks, particularly after yesterday's escalation, will require enlightened leadership and a level of political maturity that has not manifested on any side of this worsening situation.
The way forward requires healing and reconciliation, not another disturbing display of political brinksmanship.