The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

HOUSE Speaker Dr Kendal Major says he is prepared to do whatever is necessary to advance Parliament’s agenda when proceedings reconvene today.

Despite the last House sitting being a highly contentious one, Dr Major yesterday said he expected everything to run smoothly when Members of Parliament meet at 10 am.

Parliament adjourned abruptly more than two weeks ago on July 22, after opposition leader Dr Hubert Minnis created a disruption when he defied Dr Major’s orders to cease speaking and take his seat. Dr Minnis had attempted to release information of fashion tycoon Peter Nygard’s involvement with the movement of the Stem Cell Research and Therapy Bill.

“I am a servant of the House of Assembly,” Dr Major said, “and I will come fully prepared to do whatever needs to be done to advance democracy.

“I am prepared to make any decision that needs to be made to make sure all goes well and that the business of the House is uninterrupted.”

When asked to reveal what measures he intended to take if Dr Minnis again attempted to disrupt the session, Dr Major would not say. However, Dr Major previously told The Tribune that he can either name a disruptive MP or bar the member from Parliament for no more than two sessions.

Since the incident, Dr Minnis has continuously told members of the press that they would have to wait and see what he intended to when the House meets this morning. But yesterday he had no comment.

His actions in the House of Assembly have drawn much criticism from other MPs, including Prime Minister Perry Christie, who believes that the FNM leader has not been tactful in the House of Assembly.

Mr Christie said: “Dr Minnis is out to lunch. Dr Minnis has made some tactical errors in this. He describes himself as a man of science and then throughout his entire speech he contradicts that proposition that he is a man of science. So I will be able to demonstrate that painstakingly on Wednesday if I am allowed to speak.”