Opposition Members of Parliament staged a dramatic walkout from Friday’s parliamentary sitting, accusing Speaker of the House Jagdeo Singh of “biased and prejudicial behaviour.” Their departure came moments before Government MPs approved a motion appointing Deputy Commissioner of Police Junior Benjamin to act as Commissioner during the temporary absence of DCP Allister Guevarro.
The uproar began while Couva South MP Barry Padarath was contributing to the debate. St Ann’s East MP Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly interrupted on Standing Order 55(1)(b), objecting to what she described as “tedious repetition.”
“We’ve heard these points over, over and over again,” she argued. Speaker Singh, however, overruled her objection.
Tensions escalated minutes later when Gadsby-Dolly again rose on a point of order after Padarath cited a 56 per cent drop in certain crime categories. She argued that the Speaker had earlier ruled the motion as “narrow” and that crime statistics were therefore irrelevant to the discussion.
Singh replied that Arouca/Maloney MP Marvin Gonzales had “opened the door” to a broader debate on the issue.
“But Mr Speaker, you stopped him!” Gadsby-Dolly protested.
“I stopped him on crime — and 23 murders in three days,” Singh responded.
When Gadsby-Dolly pointed out that Padarath was similarly discussing crime, Singh cautioned, “Do not argue with me. Overruled. Just get on with it.”
At that point, Opposition MPs stood and exited the Chamber. As they left, Padarath declared, “Mr Speaker, we say to them — you can run but you can’t hide. The people of Trinidad and Tobago will judge you by your lack of commitment to due process. The people will also judge the Opposition’s resolve, even as they see these empty benches.”
Following the walkout, the Opposition issued a statement titled “Enough is Enough”, saying all its MPs were “left with no choice but to leave the sitting” after what they described as months of unfair treatment by the Presiding Officer.
“The pattern of biased rulings and unequal treatment has continued unchecked,” the statement read, accusing the Speaker of failing to act impartially or uphold the Constitution and Standing Orders.
They further alleged that the Speaker had “consistently rejected the majority of Urgent Questions and Prime Minister’s Questions” submitted by Opposition members, while allowing Government MPs to “shout, disrupt, and engage in unparliamentary behaviour without consequence.”
The Opposition warned that any attempt to silence their voices “will not be tolerated,” reminding the Government that “the Parliament belongs to the people, not to any political party or Presiding Officer.”
Despite the walkout, Government members proceeded with the day’s agenda and approved the motion authorizing Benjamin to act as Commissioner of Police while Guevarro attends the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado, from October 18–21.
In accordance with the law, any appointment of an acting Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner requires parliamentary approval, even for a brief period. During Guevarro’s absence, Assistant Commissioner Curt Simon will serve as acting Deputy Commissioner.
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