Karl Samuda at Gordon House. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

Edmond Campbell, News Coordinator, Parliament

Debate on the First Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure in Parliament descended into verbal warfare on Tuesday as members on both sides of the political divide engaged in a heated exchange that irked at least one member of the House who walked out in disgust.

Sharp exchanges and heckling among members form part of the cut and thrust of parliamentary debates, but far too often some members of the Lower House overstep the boundaries of parliamentary privilege and blurt out insults and berate each other.

The gavel, a symbol of order, is increasingly being relegated to a 'puff of wind' as members ignored repeated strikes by House Speaker Michael Peart, as he attempted to bring order to the sitting.

Things started to heat up after Opposition Spokesman on Finance, Audley Shaw, accused the Government of not doing enough to stamp out corruption among public servants.

Concern raised

Making reference to a Gleaner article published on March 4, Mr. Shaw said the United States Government had raised concern about Jamaica's failure to prosecute corrupt public officials.

Describing the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report 2007 as the paradox of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Report on the Jamaican economy, Mr. Shaw noted the report's suggestion that "due to the lack of prosecution of corrupt officials in Jamaica, Jamaica could become a 'kleptocracy'".

"In a 'kleptocracy' they are called 'kleptocrats', in a bureaucracy you have bureaucrats, in an autocracy you have autocrats, but in an emerging 'kleptocracy' you have 'kleptocrats'," Shaw proclaimed to a burst of laughter from Opposition colleagues but initial silence from obviously peeved Government members.

Continuing his contribution to the debate, Shaw accused a senior public official of corruption, contending that the Government needed to do more to eliminate the problem.

But it was this allegation that added fuel to the already charged atmosphere that the Speaker tried unsuccessfully to quell.

Ashamed

At this point, Member of Parliament for St. Andrew North Central, Karl Samuda, with an expression of frustration declared: "I am ashamed to be a member of this House."

Shaw, who had named the public official, was soon to be challenged by Finance and Planning Minister, Dr. Omar Davies, who said his allegation was "wrong".

An irritated Davies challenged Shaw to make those utterances outside the precincts of Parliament, suggesting that a lawsuit would follow.

Samuda who walked out in the middle of the 'chaos' told The Gleaner how he felt about Tuesday's sitting.

I asked Mr. Samuda: What prompted you to walk out of the House during the debate on the First Supplementary Estimates of Expenditure?

"I was thoroughly disgusted with the behaviour, the shouting across the floor, the abuses that were hurled at each other. It was deplorable, I felt ashamed to be a Member of Parliament, I felt ashamed to be a member of that forum," he said.

'Hen house'

"The House had descended, in my opinion, into nothing more than a hen house. And, I don't think that with an audience, including young people, that it enhances our image at all."

Mr. Samuda added: "You can be strident, but there comes a time when you have to grow up. We are the leaders of the country, and people are looking to us for example as to proper decorum.

"I am finding that a lot of young people are reluctant to enter politics primarily because they are absolutely upset at the behaviour of the representatives."

edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com.