Leacock gives warning

IN LEAVINGthe hallowed chambers of the building in Kingstown that housed this country’s parliament, the transitioning members will take with them a vivid memory of a particular action in the house that created waves of concern here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and around the region.

That action was a decision in February 2018 by the Speaker of the House, Mr. Jomo Thomas, which allowed the government to turn a no confidence motion that the opposition had filed, into a motion of confidence. This motion was then debated, in the absence of the opposition members, by the government side and passed.

Not long after his decision, Thomas took to Facebook to say that he had erred… he should have allowed the no confidence motion to be debated.

This must have been at the forefront of the mind of Opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) MP for Central Kingstown, St. Clair Leacock, who last week Thursday, in his parting remarks, i.e. from the Kingstown chamber, cautioned the Speaker of the House, Rochelle Forde, that his party could well file a motion of no confidence in the Dr. Ralph Gonsalves led government, once members were comfortable in the new, temporary accommodation.

MP Leacock was following on an early remark by Leader of the Opposition Dr. Godwin Friday who, in his parting remarks, referred to

Thomas’ action as a disgrace.

Leacock continued directing his remarks to Speaker and got more exact, warning her that she was going to be tested because, “we (NDP) coming again … with another vote of no confidence,” and that he hoped the Speakers “would do the right thing” and not follow on the error of her predecessor Thomas.