G2K against Golding’s call for Speaker selection reform, says Opposition should show more respect in Parliament

Generation 2000 (G2K), the young professional affiliate of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), has criticised Leader of the Opposition Mark Golding’s call for Jamaica to adopt the Barbados model for selecting a Speaker of the House, describing the proposal as factually flawed and structurally inaccurate.

Golding, speaking at People’s National Party (PNP) press conference on Tuesday, called for constitutional reform to allow for the selection of an independent person from outside Parliament to preside over parliamentary proceedings, warning against what he described as the gradual erosion of Jamaica’s democracy.

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Golding pointed to recent constitutional amendments in Barbados, which changed the practice of selecting a Speaker from among members of Parliament.

“I am of the view that we should look closely at that model and build into it an element of structural fairness as to how that person is selected and approved,” he said.

However, in a statement today, G2K argued that Golding had misrepresented the Barbadian model, pointing out that the country's Government appointed Arthur Holder, the existing Speaker and a former Member of Parliament for the ruling Barbados Labour Party, to retain the position from outside the elected chamber.

“Golding is either profoundly ignorant of regional affairs or deliberately misleading the Jamaican public by branding the continuation of a partisan appointment as an independent savior,” G2K asserted.

The organisation accused Golding of selectively referencing aspects of the Barbados Constitution while ignoring other amendments that it said were relevant to his proposal.

G2K pointed to Section 44 of the Barbados Constitution, which disqualifies individuals convicted of indictable offences and sentenced to more than six months in prison from serving as parliamentarians.

It also referenced amendments made in Barbados this year that disqualify elected officials who cross the floor.

“Golding seeks to cherry-pick sections of the Barbados constitution which suit his personal political ambitions while ignoring the others. G2K finds this extremely hypocritical and undemocratic,” the organisation charged.

Golding’s proposal follows a contentious debate in the House of Representatives last Tuesday on a motion to censure the Government over Jamaica's decision to abstain from a United Nations vote on a resolution calling for an end to the United States embargo against Cuba.

The motion, filed on November 3 by St Andrew Western Member of Parliament Anthony Hylton, accused the Government of misleading Parliament by failing to disclose a change in Jamaica's longstanding voting policy on the resolution.

A day before the United Nations vote, the Government had tabled a motion on the US embargo against Cuba, which was debated in the House. However, the administration did not indicate that it had changed its position on the vote.

Golding also criticised Leader of Government Business Floyd Green for invoking Standing Order 38 to end debate on the censure motion, describing the decision as inappropriate.

G2K, however, rejected the suggestion that Jamaica's constitutional arrangements were responsible for the tensions in Gordon House, arguing that the disruption of parliamentary proceedings stemmed from the PNP's conduct and its alleged disregard for institutional decorum.

The organisation cited instances in which Opposition members allegedly failed to clear the centre aisle to allow the Speaker to leave the chamber, describing the practice as a breach of basic parliamentary courtesy.

“If Mark Golding and his members cannot conform to a simple, universally accepted protocol of physical courtesy, no legislative engineering will cure their behavioural deficiencies. Order and dignity cannot be legislated into a chamber where the minority party relies on political theatre and rule-breaking as standard operating procedures,” G2K asserted.

The organisation argued that changing the process for selecting the Speaker would not resolve the tensions if parliamentarians continued to disregard the Standing Orders and rulings of the Chair.

G2K argued that the Westminster system, under which the majority party provides the Speaker, had served Jamaica's democracy for generations when properly observed.

“The Westminster system dictates that the majority party provides the Speaker to ensure the stable flow of government business, a framework that has robustly served Jamaican democracy for generations when executed in good faith.”

The organisation called for Golding and the PNP to respect the authority of the Speaker, adhere to parliamentary rules and restore order and dignity to the House.

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