PM: Opposition drawing salaries under false pretence

The Opposition’s recent boycott of Parliament has been described as a form of highway robbery by Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves.{{more}}

The five New Democratic Party (NDP) members of Parliament returned to the House last week Thursday, after missing four consecutive sittings, without permission.

Dr Gonsalves said that the public has been asking for legislation to be put in place to dissuade parliamentarians from staying away from the House of Assembly, as the Opposition did.

He accused the parliamentarians of drawing their salaries under false pretence.

He was in his element as he taunted the Opposition on their return, saying that he wished they had stayed away for six sittings so that their three seats could have been declared vacant.

Dr Gonsalves had earlier stated that he was confident that if by-elections were called, his Unity Labour Party (ULP) would have snatched Arnhim Eustace’s East Kingstown seat from under him and Terrence Ollivierre would have been given a run for his money in the Southern Grenadines.

The only seat he presumed would have comfortably remained in NDP’s hands is that of the Northern Grenadines.

He further accused the Opposition of abandoning their principled stance.

They had said that their continued protest was because of the rape allegations made against the Prime Minister by a policewoman.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Colin Williams, took over and wholly discontinued the charges brought by the woman. Lawyers for the woman sought leave to review the DPP’s decision.

Both the High Court and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States Appeal Court refused them leave, leaving the matter dead in the water.

This, Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace said on Wednesday was the reason for their decision to return to Parliament.

Speaking on the We FM morning radio programme, Eustace said that as it stands, the Prime Minister is not facing any criminal charges.

“The second appeal was thrown out, so effectively at this point, there is no criminal case,” Eustace said.

Eustace also said that he never indicated in any of his letters to the Speaker of the House that the boycott was a general one, but rather for each individual sitting.

“When we took the decision, we were aware of the rules; that come the sixth meeting, if you don’t have the compliance of the speaker to be absent, we will have to go to by-elections. So we were always careful to deal with it meeting by meeting.”

So as it stands, the yellow and red jerseys can be put away, the election machinery can remain asleep for now – there will be no by-elections.(KJ)