Robertson
Robert Hart, Staff Reporter
PANDEMONIUM ERUPTED in the House of Representatives last night and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) will be seeking to have Parliament reconvened today after Dr. Paul Robertson, Minister of Development, walked out in the midst of a debate on his own Ministerial statement.
According to Derrick Smith, Leader of Opposition Business, the Opposition will also be seeking to censure Deputy Speaker of the House, O.T. Williams, for what they claim was an improper adjournment of the sitting.
After Dr. Robertson's walkout, spurred by Opposition MP Pearnel Charles' suggestion that the Government had sold out the rights to any future development of Jamaica's railway system, the Opposition sought to censure the Development Minister.
However, during the ensuing furore, and apparently on noting that it had fewer members than the Opposition (10 to 14), the Government side sought to adjourn the sitting. The Deputy Speaker asked Derrick Kellier, the Deputy Leader of the House, if he would move for an adjournment.
PROTESTS ABOUT ADJOURNMENT
But moments later, the Opposition was protesting that the House had not been properly adjourned and JLP MP Edmund Bartlett grabbed the mace, the symbol of Jamaica's sovereignty, and attempted to block the doorway, preventing the members from leaving. After a brief tussling match, the mace was taken away from the JLP MP.
With the majority of Government members gone, several Opposition MPs sought to decide on the next course of action by scanning through the House Standing Orders. They were attempting to determine if the House had indeed been adjourned.
Among those present were Opposition Leader Edward Seaga and Dr. Omar Davies, Minister of Finance and Planning.
At close to 8:00 p.m., the members were still milling around apparently seeking to make sense of what had occurred.
Dr. Robertson had made a statement on a development plan for the Highway 2000 corridor.
