Senior Reporter
dareece.polo@guardian.co.tt
Political scientist Dr Indira Rampersad says Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar can file a lawsuit against the parliamentarians who she claimed abdicated their responsibilities last Friday when they were absent for the vote on the Auditor General’s Report.
Rampersad said Members of Parliament under the United National Congress (UNC), Rodney Charles, Dr Rai Ragbir, Rushton Paray, Dinesh Rambally and Anita Haynes-Alleyne breached the doctrine of collective responsibility.
The five have been branded troublemakers having publicly called for internal elections within their party.
“They’re holding meetings separately from the party, they’re not attending the party meetings and more importantly they are not attending to their parliamentarian collective responsibility in Parliament. I think they are in serious breach of the protocols and the regulations of the doctrine of collective responsibility,” Rampersad said.
She also challenged the excuses given for not appearing in the House of Representatives.
Charles said he exerted himself and could not be present while Dr Ragbir said he was celebrating his son’s graduation. Rambally told Guardian Media he was mourning a death in his family while Haynes-Alleyne said she requested leave for personal reasons. Meanwhile, Paray indicated that he was not aware a debate was scheduled after private members’ day.
Rampersad said many of the explanations did not justify their absence.
“They’re supposed to be in Parliament when Parliament is sitting. They’re parliamentarians! They’re elected MPs. For whatever reason, you can’t be taking personal leave and private leave and asking for leave when there is a sitting unless it is a matter of life and death. They are elected representatives there to serve the people. I think it was irresponsible for them not to be there, whatever the reason they are giving,” she said.
Similarly, political scientist Dr Bishnu Ragoonath noted that the five MPs’ absence was unprofessional, though he noted that Persad-Bissessar was not exempt from this behaviour.
“Once Parliament is sitting, I would have expected my representative who would have been elected on that ticket to be in the Parliament and I don’t want no excuse saying that ‘we didn’t think it was important’ because you are getting paid as a Member of Parliament,” Ragoonath said.
He believes this act has given Persad-Bissessar the evidence she needs to rid the party of her detractors.
“The party will purge itself of the so-called dissident elements as we approach the next election and if I am to follow on that vision, based on what we heard yesterday (Sunday), I strongly suspect that the party will take a decision on these persons who were nominated and attempt to purge the party of people who they will consider to be troublemakers.”