Saith blocks Mark's suspension from Senate

Senator Wade Mark was in hot waters again in the Senate Wednesday over a statement he made about another member and was about to face a motion to be thrown out of the Upper House. But Dr Lenny Saith intervened and prevented the possible suspension.

The day before Senator Hazel Manning suggested that the Parliament reconsider its privilege to members because it allows members to make statements that cannot be challenged in court.

On Wednesday Mark and acting Senate President faced off over a statement the opposition house leader had made about Senator Laurel Lezama.

Mark withdrew a comment he had made accusing the senator of having no integrity. He had made the statement in the context of the publication of the senator's name as one of the persons who had failed to declare her assets to the Integrity Commission for the years 2003 and 2004 and required by law.

Mark felt he had gone too far by saying his colleague had no integrity for failing to file declarations and agreed to "humbly withdraw" the statement but did not apologize. Lezama accepted Mark’s withdrawal “in the interest of the country’s business.”

But while that was good enough for the offended member Hadeed was not satisfied and demanded an apology as well, which mark refused to give.

“Let me assure my honourable friend that no offence or negative imputation to her character was intended and in the circumstances I wish to respectfully withdraw my remarks concerning my friend’s integrity—and hope that my senatorial colleague would understand that in the cut and thrust of politics, particularly in the Senate, these things do happen,” Mark explained.

But Hadeed accused Mark of breaching Standing Orders 35(5) and 43 (3)(b).

In his defence Mark referred to negative statements made against him, particularly by Local Government Minister Hazel Manning, where she allegedly called Mark a liar.

Hadeed insisted that what Manning said or did not say was not the before him at the time and that Mark should apologize to Lezama.

Hadeed called on a minister to move a motion to have Mark suspended from the Senate, but there was hesitation.

There was some doubt since it appeared that Hadeed might have misinterpreted the standing order, which dealing with disorder and disturbance in the House.

The order provides for a Senator to withdraw immediately from the Senate during the remainder of the day's sitting and for the Senate president to take measures to restore order.

It would apply if a senator had used objectionable language and refused to apologize apologize to the satisfaction of the Senate. That clearly didn't apply. There was no disorder and Lezama had accepted Mark's withdrawal of the comment as an apology.

But Hadeed insisted that the Senate take action against Mark.

Government Senator Mariano Browne rose to move the motion but before he could complete it Hadeed suspended the sitting.

It was during that 10-minutes break that Dr Lenny Saith arrived and resolved the matter.

“I spoke to our people", saith said, "I spoke to Senator Mark. I spoke to Professor Deosaran and we all agreed that the way we should proceed is that Senator Mark would withdraw the statement.”

Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday, who has been suspended from the House of Representatives earlier in the year reacted angrily, condemning the government for continuing its attempts to silence the opposition.

“They don’t want to hear the truth. They will suspend every member of the UNC from the Upper and Lower House,” Panday told the Trinidad Guardian.