(CMR) In an unprecedented move, West Bay Central MP and Deputy Speaker Katherine Ebanks-Wilks has refused to accept the no-confidence motion brought by the Progressives against McKeeva Bush. Progressives leader Roy McTaggart confirmed to local media that Ebanks-Wilks, who would have presided over the parliamentary segment on Friday, has not approved it to be tabled with no reason given.
Despite McTaggart claiming no reason was given, CMR sources have indicated that they did not submit that mission in time, which has forced the Deputy Speaker to reject the motion on a technicality.
“The motion complies in every material respect with the Standing Orders of the House, and it is therefore surprising and alarming that it appears to have been disapproved arbitrarily as no reason was given.”
Roy McTaggart, Opposition Leader
The motion was filed on Friday afternoon, a week after another motion to have a vote of no-confidence against the entire PACT government was also filed. The motion against Bush is said to have widespread approval and this is the first inclination of it not being successful because of a sitting member of parliament.
The move could be political suicide for the freshman politician who was known to be vying for the position of Parliamentary Speaker should Bush be removed. Ebanks-Wilks was able to unseat long-standing MP for West Bay Central Captain Eugene Ebanks who was both a UDP member and political ally of Bush. Ironically, during the last criminal case with Bush, which saw him convicted of assaulting a bar manager, Ebanks-Wilks was one of the few candidates to take to the frontlines of the government administration building in protest.
CMR understood that as Deputy Speaker, Ebanks-Wilks would have presided over the no-confidence motion against Bush on Friday. The motion against the government has been allowed and will be heard. Meanwhile, Speaker McKeeva Bush has still not tabled his resignation and will preside over that motion.
McTaggart has requested reasons for the refusal in writing from the deputy speaker.
Since being elected to office, Ebanks-Wilks has been working closely with Bush causing many to speculate that they were going to share a constituency office and potentially become political allies for the next election.
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