Chief Whip denies sidelining dissidents in Parliament 

Chief Whip David Lee says no Opposition MP has been side-lined or prevented from contributing in Parliament. 

His comment follows a claim made by Chaguanas West MP Dinesh Rambally that the so called UNC dissidents are being sidelined in the Parliament. 

In a statement today MP Lee said, “ With our country facing crisis upon crisis due to a failed government, there is no time for petty games, fallacies or pretentious “victim syndrome” when we have a serious job to do in the national interest as Opposition Parliamentarians. As Opposition Chief Whip I can confirm that any public statement that Opposition MPs are being side-lined or prevented from contributing within the Parliament is not only misleading or contrary to the truth but disdainfully mischievous.” 

Lee said it must be put on public record that no Opposition member  has ever been refused from speaking in Parliament after indicating their intent to do so.  

He said it is even more important for the public to understand that there is no record of the respective individual making these claims asking to contribute and being refused.  

He added that every Opposition member, even those giving the view that they have been “backbenched” when they are literally on the front bench, has been given the opportunity to contribute. 

“ It has been the standard operating procedure not recently, but always, that every member I asked ahead of debate to indicate if they wish to speak. Then allowed to speak In recent months, those who have remained silent and those who have not contributed have done so on their own purposeful decision. Not as a result of any action by the Whip, Opposition Leader or UNC. If they have opted to remain silent in condemning PNM in Parliament and if they have opted to refuse to stand up against the PNM’s poor governance in the Parliament, that is not a result of the UNC’s Parliamentary bench management but their own decision to break the contract made to the UNC voters when they asked to contest on a UNC ticket. The rest of us have a country to rebuild and party ideals to uphold,” he said.