Speaker of the National Assembly Michael Perkins during a sitting of Parliament on Tuesday May 23 asked Labour parliamentarian Konris Maynard to leave the National Assembly.
Maynard’s ejection came just after 1pm, following verbal exchanges between Speaker Perkins and Opposition Leader, former Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas after Douglas made comments about a Chinese national with economic citizenship of SKN via the CBI program.
Maynard told Freedom Fm on Tuesday following his ejection from the National Assembly, that “democracy is still under threat”, in SKN. Maynard said he was ordered to leave parliament for “standing and awaiting the Speaker’s indulgence to ask a question”.
It was during a presentation by Prime Minister Harris on an Immigration Bill that Maynard rose on a point of order. The Speaker refused to allow the point of order. Maynard again rose to his feet at which point Speaker Perkins warned that if he choose to rise again, he the Speaker “would have to act accordingly”.
“I would not allow a point of order at this time,” Speaker Perkins said to MP Maynard, who continued to challenge the ruling of the Speaker, whilst remaining on his feet. “Honourable member for number 3, if you choose to rise again once I’ve asked the honourable member (Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris) to continue, I will act accordingly under the powers of the rules of the House.”
Maynard stood his ground on a point of order and Perkins asked him to take his seat. When Maynard continued to speak saying the Speaker did not know why he was standing, Perkins accused the Member of Parliament for #3 of gross misconduct and ordered him to leave the House immediately for the rest of the day’s session.
At that point Maynard was joined by his parliamentary colleagues who all walked out.
According to a government release on this “The Honourable Konris Maynard, became the third in a line of ejected opposition members, who have constantly defied the Speaker’s ruling, , which have resulted in those MPs being dismissed from the House. The others are Senator Nigel Carty and Opposition Leader Dr Denzil Douglas.