Opposition MPs likely to be disciplined for ‘attack on mace’ on Monday; police could get involved – Teixeira

A tug-of-war between APNU+AFC MPs and Parliament Staff after the Opposition Parliamentarians stole the mace from Speaker Manzoor Nadir

Disciplinary actions are likely to be soon instituted against certain members of the APNU+AFC Parliamentary Opposition, almost one month after their brazen attack on the mace coupled with what has already been described as “terroristic” behaviour in the National Assembly.

This is according to Governance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Gail Teixeira who explained that a decision will be made at the upcoming sitting of the House on Monday, January 24.

On December 29, APNU+AFC Members protested the hearing of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Bill, which they wanted to be sent to parliamentary Special Select Committee for review. Coalition MPs stood banging on their desks when the Bill was called up for debate and subsequently gathered in the pit of the Dome of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), where National Assembly sittings are being held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bill was eventually passed late into the evening but not before the Opposition’s protest escalated into a physical confrontation with parliament staff after one of the parliamentarians snatched the Parliament Mace from in front of the Speaker Manzoor Nadir.

In the process, the symbolic mace was damaged. Some Opposition MPs also went into the control room of the ACCC where they ripped out connections for internet and microphones, causing the live feed and virtual connections to be disrupted.

Moreover, Opposition Parliamentarians have been accused of assaulting, both physically and verbally, the Personal Assistant to the Speaker who was trying to protect the mace.

The mace is the most integral part of the National Assembly’s business and if it is not in the House, no business can be conducted.

Following the chaotic behaviour, which was widely condemned by the private sector and civil society bodies, Speaker Nadir had warned of severe consequences for the culpable MPs.

During a recent broadcast programme aired by State media, Teixeira explained that it is likely that a decision, on the form of punishment to be meted out against the guilty parties, will be made.

“We have a number of options open to us, as we, meaning, the National Assembly, according to Standing Orders,” she explained.

“The Speaker can call on a Minister of Government to call for the suspension of ‘x’ number of members, the Speaker can also [say] that the matter go to the Privileges Committee which he chairs and/or the government, in its own rights, could go to the Speaker in the Assembly and call for ‘x’ members to go the Privileges Committee,” she noted.

“So, there are a number of options and on Monday one of those can definitely be invoked,” Teixeira added.

The Parliamentary Affairs Minister admitted that disciplinary actions would have been taken on the same day of the Opposition’s unparliamentary behaviour but she is hopeful that with this time that has passed, the guilty MPs will accept the consequences of their actions.

“I have no idea what their [re]action will be. I would hope that in the period between December 29th and January 24th, that good sense has prevailed and that the MPs on the Opposition side and the APNU/AFC, as a coalition, recognise that there have to be boundaries, there have to be limits and that the behaviour of the MPs were unacceptable,” Teixeira posited.

Moreover, she noted that the police can also get involved.

“That does not preclude any actions that the police may or may not take in regards to what was damage to public property, the mace is public property, the control room was public property and of course the assault on a member staff.”

“These are all issues to do, whether, if it happens in the Chambers or outside the Chambers, these are matters I believe the police would have an interest in and they can determine what action they can take against the perpetrators,” she explained.