Speaker lifts ban on Manickchand’s ability to address House

SPEAKER of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman, yesterday informed the House that he had reviewed Tuesday’s incident involving what he had termed a “dastardly” comment by Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, along with a clarification she provided on Wednesday.

And he ruled that the Minister will be allowed to make her presentation on the 2014 Budget, effectively lifting the ban he imposed on Tuesday.

Speaker of the House Raphael Trotman yesterday. (Adrian Narine photo)

During the presentation of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) front-bencher, Volda Lawrence, who was at the time addressing statutory rape of young girls, Manickchand said, “Ask your APNU member Sharma.”
Sitting APNU Member, Jaipaul Sharma, rose in protest of the reference and requested, through Speaker Raphael Trotman, for an apology to be issued.
Trotman stated that Manickchand either apologise or he will not entertain her presentation on Budget 2014.
Manickchand, in defense, sought to qualify her statement, pointing out that her reference was to the father of the APNU’s member, Chandra Narine Sharma, who has been fingered in several sexual assault allegations.
Sharma is also the leader of the Justice For All Party (JFAP), which is part of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition.
The Education Minister said, “Mr. Speaker I have never refused to heed your advice, but five children….”
The Speaker interjected at this point and maintained that an apology should be given.
Trotman said, “You said ask the member of the APNU…if this is your attitude…I deem it to be highly improper and if you don’t apologise I will not recognise you to participate in this debate.”
The Speaker of the House gave Manickchand the choice to apologise or not, stating that she was in her right not to.
The Education Minister stood on her principle and opted not to apologise.

Manickchand had told the Chronicle that she refuses to apologise to C.N. Sharma as she cannot abandon victims in the name of keeping Parliament happy. The minister was also adamant that she will not contribute to a culture of “hushing up rape”.

DISSATISFIED
Chief Whip of APNU, Amna Ally, yesterday rose to question the revised ruling of the Speaker and demanded an apology be issued.
The Speaker made it clear that, while Ally is within her right to demand an apology, yesterday’s ruling is not a debatable one.
He reiterated that his review of the events leading up to the comment, the comment itself and comments made by both Sharma and Manickchand subsequently, were the basis for his decision.
Trotman said, “Mr. Sharma himself did say that his father was being impugned, not himself…he did not feel it was he. I believed the comment was directed at a sitting member, but Sharma said my father….I must take cognisance of this.”

SEXUAL IMPROPRIETY
The legal standard is that despite allegations, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
In April 2010, the proprietor of the CNS TV Channel 6, Chandra Narine Sharma, was questioned by Police ranks at Eve Leary after he was invited there following reports by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security’s Child Care and Protection Department of multiple rapes committed on four underage sisters. Following a bout of questioning, he was taken to the Brickdam lockups where he collapsed and was subsequently hospitalised at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
In May 2013, the carnal knowledge accused Sharma was committed to stand trial in the High Court for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl back in 2010.
The decision was made by Magistrate Sueanna Lovell at the end of a preliminary inquiry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. The magistrate informed the court that a prima facie case had been made out against the popular television owner and talk show host.
In a sworn affidavit, the 13-year-old girl alleged that Sharma had been sexually molesting her and her sisters, with the consent of their mother. “He raped me when I was living with my mother…He call me in my (then) house in Alexander Street,  said to come for this thing…He hold me down in the room and raped me…my sisters they come in and they see and they come out and waited outside until he finished.”
The girl said the abuse only stopped when she refused to return to her mother’s home. In the affidavit, the girl also alleged that Sharma molested her two older sisters and two younger ones (who were nine and five years old respectively at the time). The girl has said that she would receive $2,000 weekly from Sharma.
The child also stated that she was afraid of Sharma.
The entire court proceedings were held in camera away from the public eye.
In March this year, after suffering multiple strokes, the veteran broadcaster retuned to the airways to host his popular call-in programme ‘Voice of the People’.
Sharma’s health deteriorated following allegations of sexual impropriety by under aged girls.
The matter is still before the High Court.

(By Vanessa Narine)