Diego Martin Central MP Dr Amery Browne says the Government is abusing the minority Opposition out of it's desire to escape scrutiny. He said so in response to Friday's sitting of Parliament when House Speaker Wade Mark ordered him to discontinue speaking on the grounds of irrelevance. Mark ordered Browne to sit, shortly after he got a 30-minute extension. Browne had made allegations of wrongdoing by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. In an interview yesterday, Brown said: "I believe what happened is an example of the Government abusing the minority out of it's desire to avoid scrutiny and criticism." Browne said it was impossible for the Government not to expect members of the Opposition to challenge them. He said he was quieted when he called on Persad-Bissessar to carry out an audit into Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs.
Browne said she had failed to respond, but instead claimed he was being irrelevant as the matter being debated was the Anti-Gang Bill 2010. Browne said it was imperative for not only the Opposition but also the public to be able to freely ask Persad-Bissessar questions. He said the silencing of members of Opposition and the public "was nothing new," and compared his experience to that of CNMG talk show host Fazeer Mohammed who resigned after having a disagreement with Foreign Affairs Minister Surujrattan Rambachan. Browne said this "dictatorial manner" was emerging week by week. He said it was incomprehensible to him that the Government worked to silence those who criticised them, but was "comfortable with boorish and crude behaviour" of their own members in Parliament.