(CMR) Opposition lawmakers have walked out of the Legislative Assembly this morning in support of Alva Suckoo (Newlands) after the Premier, Alden McLaughlin and the Speaker of the House, McKeeva Bush, suspended him for the day.
Bernie Bush was the sole backbenchers on the government side who did not vote in favor of the motion; although he remained in the LA.
CMR understands that The Speaker called on The Premier to table the motion and with a full house the vote was 11 in favor and 7 against. With the suspension solidarity was shown when other members walked out with him.
We further understood from yesterday evening that the Speaker intended to suspend Suckoo after he brought up a letter in last week Thursday's Brac LA session. The specific letter was not mentioned but the generality of the matter was that the letter demonstrated that persons in the LA were doing business with certain corporate entities – a matter that had many questioning the nature of such an arrangement.
Despite no specific member being called The Speaker made it very clear that he felt attacked and intended to suspend him for questioning the integrity of another member. Suckoo was also threatened with jail time.
We also understand that despite people hearing the actual statement during the live debate it has since been extracted from the YouTube CIG video and is now not part of the LA records. The Speaker demanded last week multiple times that an apology be tendered. However, Suckoo was not understanding what he needed to apologize for.
Premier McLaughlin was captured in the photo below sitting down with “begging him to apologize to the Speaker of the House”.
Suckoo stood his ground that he had nothing to be apologetic about.
Kenneth Bryan supproted the opposition stating that:
“I walked because I don't support the reasoning as to why the Speaker of the House chose to remove him. He is the presiding officer and speaker and I have to respect his decision but I don't have to accept it. Alva had every right to stand his ground . My walking out is in support of Alva in him standing his ground. I don't believe that he harmed anyone but was simply raising a concern on behalf of the people of this country which is his job and obligation.”
Opposition Leader, the Honorable Ezzard Miller, tells the media the members will explain their reason for leaving the LA at a press conference at 2 P.M. today at the Opposition Office in George Town.
Some members are now claiming that the Unity Government is censoring LA debates and health dialogue. Another person noted that Cayman is headed down the path of Turks and Caicos all because the Premier must placate the Speaker in order to keep the Unity Government together.
Below is a video of a heated moment with the Speaker of the House and the Opposition Leader last week Friday during the session on the Brac:
Make sure to check back this post as this is a developing story.
- Fascinated
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