Cummings finally gets special chair

After months of debate and controversy over his seating arrangements in the House of Assembly, parliamentary representative for West Kingstown Daniel Cummings was finally seen sitting in his special chair, during last Tuesday’s sitting of Parliament.{{more}}

On October 29, the West Kingstown parliamentary representative stood out among his peers as he sat comfortably in his new chair, casually reclining at times as he listened to the proceedings.

Before answering a question posed by Cummings, Minister of Transport and Works Senator Julian Francis complimented him on his new seating arrangement.

“I must compliment you on your chair, but I want to say this, you do look pretty uncomfortable in it. I hope he doesn’t topple over, Mr Speaker,” Francis said.

Earlier this year, Cummings made repeated requests for the Speaker to provide him with a chair to accommodate injuries he says he sustained to his back, during an incident when Opposition parliamentarians were forcefully removed from the House by police, under the directives of the Speaker in March 2011.

The Speaker refused; however, in a letter to Cummings, he told him he could make personal arrangements for the “appropriate seating to lessen any discomfort [he] may experience … provided that such arrangements do not disrupt the Assembly Chamber.”

Addressing Parliament on August 15, 2013, Cummings revealed that a special chair had been purchased for him by his supporters in West Kingstown.

During that sitting in August, Speaker Hendrick Alexander temporarily adjourned the House, after Cummings insisted that he collect his chair, an order with which Cummings refused to comply.(BK)