Speaker turns down De Lima's request to reply to Warner

Speaker of the HOR Wade Mark

Speaker of the House of Representatives Wade Mark has turned down a request from attorney-at-law Vernon De Lima for a right of reply to statements made about him by Minister of National Security Jack Warner.

Warner told the House of Representatives on March 8 that De Lima was present at a PNM meeting in St Joseph at which several people discussed plans to try to destabilise the country.

De Lima and another person named by Warner denied that they were at any meeting at the home of George Bell in Maracas, St Joseph. However the Express newspaper carried a report in which it quoted an unnamed person who stated that he was at the meeting mentioned by Warner and that both men named by the minister were present and identified themselves by name.

De Lima wrote to Mark stating that Warner's allegations were untrue and asked to have a response read into the records of Hansard.

His latter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives said: "I have never had any discussions with any person or persons whomsoever with a view to destabilising our country or subverting the lawful Government."

It added, "I have never attended any such meetings" and insisted that he does not "know or have ever even met any person or persons by the names George Bell, Soldier Barry or Barry Barrington."

The Clerk of the House Jacqui Sampson-Meiguel, replied to De Lima, stating:

"In your letter you requested the opportunity to have placed on the parliamentary record a response to statements made by a Member during debate in the House of Representatives.

"I am directed by the Speaker of the House to inform you that your request to have a response placed on the parliamentary record has not received his approval." 

The Speaker has discretion in deciding if to allow persons the right to reply to statements recorded in Hansard and has allowed two people the right to reply.

One was Brigadier Peter Joseph in response to statements made about him by Attorney General Anand Ramlogan; the other was Maha Sabha General Secretary Sat Maharaj to refute statements made by PNM MP Patricia McIntosh about events at the Tunapuna Hindu School.

Mark has also turned down requests from Reshmi Ramnarine to respond to statements made by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley and Noel Garcia to respond to statements made by Housing Minister Roodal Moonilal.