Speaker reprimands Harmon and Duncan over claims of bias
-warns of disciplinary proceedings for breaches of Standing Orders
Stating that he will not be intimidated by “front yard or back yard bullies,” House Speaker Manzoor Nadir yesterday reprimanded Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon and fellow APNU+AFC member Sherod Duncan for publicly accusing him of showing bias in the National Assembly.
At the commencement of yesterday’s sitting, Nadir said that he had observed numerous breaches of the Standing Orders and parliamentary conventions, customs and practices since the conclusion of the previous sitting.
He cited Harmon’s appearance as a guest speaker on a show hosted by Duncan and where he said they both continued publicly criticising his decisions during the debate of the opposition-sponsored narcotics amendment bill and his refusal to allow a motion to debate the murders of Joel and Isaiah Henry
Nadir said he viewed Harmon’s statements as improper and impugning his character.
Also cited was a social media post by Duncan, who stated “the devils got to” Nadir and labelled him “biased” and “partisan.”
Nadir said the comments were a direct charge of bias against him and sought to impugn his character.
He noted that one of the best known rules for parliamentary proceedings is that the conduct of the Speaker cannot be criticized except by way of substantive motion.
“I am neither anyone’s little boy nor am I intimidated by front yard or back yard bullies. [If there are] any occurrences or recurrences of the breaches of the Standing Orders, I will have to ask a minister to move a motion… to refer errant members to the Committee of Privileges for disciplinary actions,” he warned.
Meanwhile, Nadir noted that another breach of parliamentary convention is the disseminating of in-camera proceedings of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). He reminded members that under Standing Order 95 (9), committee meetings shall be held privately unless the committee determines otherwise. In the case of PAC meetings, he said that the public is only invited when the Auditor General’s report is being considered.
He subsequently implored members to respect and uphold the Standing Orders.