MP UP Interim Faction Leader Sylvia Meyers on Thursday’s Closure of Central Committee Meeting

The Central Committee meeting scheduled for Thursday was postponed, and the UP Faction protests the manner in which the President of Parliament handled the procedures. The Chairman of the meeting spoke with the DP Faction prior to the opening of the meeting.

 

We were informed by sources that the President was going to open and close the meeting in order to postpone the session until further notice.

The UP faction signed in for the meeting. The DP faction did the same. The NA faction did not show up for the meeting. Independent Member of Parliament Patrick Illidge showed up and signed in and a quorum was therefore formed.

The Chairman rudely interrupted MP Janchie Leonard while he was explaining the core of his second announcement. To add insult to injury, before going over to the agenda, the Chairman briefly stated he has new information pertaining to the agenda point and decided to adjourn the meeting, hastily hitting the gavel and closing the session, leaving the House bewildered as to the true motives of this latest action of the chairman. This meeting was already postponed on October 11, and today November 9th, clarity is still being sought?

The UP faction protest the fact that we were not granted the same courtesy and respect as was given to the other faction. The Chairman of the meeting is not conducting the meeting in a proper manner.

Parliament did not even get the opportunity to ask if its members can receive a copy of the document or information that would lead to a delay if this has been sent to the Chairman in writing. When did the Chairman gain knowledge of this new information and from whom? Was it from the Minister of General Affairs, from a third party, from who?

This is yet another secretive action of the Chairman of Parliament who hasn’t been transparent at all since taking his seat in the House. The Parliament and the people deserve better.

This is making a mockery of the people and our parliamentary democracy. The actions by the Chairman are setting a trend of a banana republic.

The current President and the coalition have no respect for this House of Parliament.

Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Sylvia Meyers

Interim Faction Leader United Peoples (UP) party

Thursday, November 8, 2012