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After having issues warning for over a year, the chairwoman of Parliament, Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, evidently ran out of patience and instructed the police to escort MP Mahinder Jogi (VHP) out of the conference room for disturbing the order. MP Jogi had reportedly asked for permission to address Parliament to respond to accusations made by MP Amzad Abdoel and MP Andre Misiekaba (NDP). Geerlings-Simons did not give him permission which is why he started to yell despite having been warned several times. After he was evicted from the conference room MP Jogi made it clear that he has the right to respond to a personal matter as this is anchored in the rule book of Parliament. “I do not hope that Simons is expressing her frustration in Parliament due to old age, stress or turbulence within the NDP. I wanted to exercise my right but the chairwoman refused to let me address Parliament. Simons is applying double standards by giving her faction the opportunity to say whatever they want to say but when I do that she deems it unacceptable or inappropriate,” said MP Jogi. Legislators on Thursday discussed the nation’s fisheries sector because of the deadly pirate attack that took place over two weeks ago. MP Jogi had pointed out that MP Andre Misiekaba (NDP) is either waking up just now or not taking the national security seriously.
MP Misiekaba, leader of the NDP faction in Parliament, responded that MP Jogi was trying to gain political advantage out of the issue in a cheap manner while legislators were discussing the issue. MP Abdoel accused MP Jogi of behaving like a hypocrite by criticizing the policy of the government and members of the coalition while also visiting the government table to get personal matters done. MP Jogi became upset and wanted to address the accusation but was not given the opportunity to respond through the microphone.
MP Celsius Waterberg could not speak because MP Jogi kept yelling loudly. Simons instructed MP Jogi not to talk outside the microphone but he ignores her instruction. The chairwoman then instructed the police to escort him out of the conference room. “It is time for me to draw the line,” said the chairwoman.