No story on why the woman interupted the session though. What is her story.http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161475205Anna Ramdass aramdass@trinidadexpress.com
There was a heated sitting of the House of Representatives yesterday, as tempers flared and venom spewed between the People's National Movement (PNM) and the United National Congress (UNC) in two separate incidents.
In the first incident, House Speaker Barendra Sinanan was forced to suspend the sitting of the House and in the second, he ordered that a woman who was sitting in the public gallery, and who interrupted the sitting with her outburst, be forcibly removed from the Chamber.
The fireworks began when Works Minister Colm Imbert raised the UNC's dirty laundry in the House and made reference to recent statements by Opposition MP Jack Warner against his colleagues on a public platform.
"I find it very difficult to stand here and listen to allegations of impropriety and integrity from the members opposite. That's a bitter pill to swallow," Imbert said.
He was speaking on the Opposition's private motion which called for the removal of Karen Nunez-Tesheira as Finance Minister.
Imbert, reading from a newspaper article, highlighted Warner's claims that he paid the salaries of UNC members for some nine months to the tune of some $1.4 million when there was a general election tie. He also made reference to claims by Tabaquite MP Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, that Warner had paid Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday's legal fees and saved him from selling his house.
Panday became visibly angry and shouted, "Lie! Don't cast aspersions on us when you have money in Grenada! Don't do that!"
Imbert continued making reference to Warner's statements as Panday and other members of the Opposition front bench retaliated.
"Honourable member for Couva North. Please. Order!" shouted Sinanan.
"He's casting aspersions on us when his owns hands are dirty!" yelled Panday.
"You know I like you in the House, so please," Sinanan told Panday, advising him to answer to Imbert when he makes his own contribution.
Imbert continued informing the Speaker that he would ask that the standing orders of the House be invoked to end the sitting, if Opposition members continued imputing improper motives on him.
Opposition MP Kelvin Ramnath shot back, "Who the hell you think you are?"
A frustrated Sinanan then said, "No, no, no, now please!"
He added that it was not right for members to behave in this manner.
As he continued to face objections and arguments from the Opposition, he said, "I am warning all members I intend for this sitting to go smoothly. If any member misbehaves you stand the possibility of being put out. I am not making any jokes."
Panday rose to his feet and, quoting the relevant standing orders, said Imbert was imputing improper motives against the Opposition.
The Speaker allowed Imbert to continue and he smiled, saying, "I don't know why they are so jumpy." Again, the verbal attacks from both sides continued.
Sinanan rose again, saying he was very impressed with Panday's recent statements about wanting to return the Parliament to its pristine glory. He again called for peace.
Imbert continued, saying he had told no lies and only wanted to point out the hypocrisy of the Opposition.
"You don't worry about our issues. Worry about the $6 million in Grenada," said Panday, as he mumbled that Warner had made a deal with Imbert.
The bitter cross-talk continued and Sinanan rose again.
"I'll tell you what, I'm going to suspend the sitting of this House for five minutes in which time I am inviting members to cool down and cool their tempers."
He then left the Chamber, leaving the MPs to continue arguing during the suspended time.
Prime Minister Patrick Manning walked in and wore an expression of surprise as he met the uproar and was given an update by his colleagues.
After five minutes the debate resumed and as Imbert tried to bring up the issue again, but the Speaker ordered that he not make reference to it again.
However, as Opposition MP Vasant Bharath was on his feet making his contribution, there was another outburst, this time from the public gallery.
"Allyuh want to kill me and my children! Allyuh want to kill me!" shouted a woman, later identified as Arima resident Millicent Reid.
All members froze in silence.
Manning, who was making an exit, stopped in his tracks and looked at the woman.
"Remove that person from the House. Remove that stranger from the House!" Sinanan ordered as the woman continued her outburst.
A team of police held the woman by her arms and dragged her out of the Chamber as she moaned, "Oh God, somebody help me! Somebody help me! Please! Oh God!"
It was only last month that another woman had also interrupted the House sitting and was forced out of the House.