MOTIONS OF NO CONFIDENCE IN CARICOM AND OTHER COUNTRIES There have been some five Motions of No Confidence filed in Parliaments in the Caribbean since the 11th December 2012, the day the Leader of the Opposition in St. Kitts and Nevis, the Hon. Mark Brantley, submitted a Motion of No Confidence in the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis under the Leadership of Denzil Douglas to the Clerk of the National Assembly. (See Table attached) In every case the motion was heard in less than fourteen days and strikingly, in the case of Barbados, a Motion of No Confidence in the Minister of Finance was filed by Opposition Leader Mia Mottley on Tuesday, 22nd October 2013 and it was debated and voted on the very same day. In respect of that motion, Barbados Prime Minister, the Hon. Freundel Stuart said, “A no confidence motion is not child’s play. It is an impeachment, it is a prosecution…you are actually impeaching the political integrity of a Minister of the Crown and you have a duty to lay out your case and to prove it.” Here’s what some other notable CARICOM luminaries had to say about the lengthy and unprecedented delay in hearing the Motion of No Confidence in St. Kitts and Nevis: “It is axiomatic that a democratically-elected government ought always to be representative of the people. That representativeness is made manifest in a government which commands the majority of the representatives elected in free and fair elections. When a government no longer has the support of the majority of the elected members of the Parliament, it has several options, namely: (i) To resign and cause fresh general elections to be held; (ii) to face a vote of confidence in the legislature in appropriate circumstances; or (iii) to act in accordance with any other appropriate constitutional directive given by the Head of State (Governor General). These are eternal, core principles of good governance. So, it is usual and expected that when a motion of no-confidence, properly drafted, is duly filed against a government, such a motion ought to be deliberately considered and determined by the legislature in the shortest time practicable, having regard to all pressing or other extraordinary exigencies of State. That is an established constitutional convention in parliamentary democracy.” – Dr. the Hon. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines The democratic process in St. Kitts and Nevis is being undermined. Former Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister, Lester Bird “It is very unprincipled to evade a motion of no confidence…my view is that motions of no confidence should be heard and should be given high priority. Delaying the hearing of motions of no confidence is very contrary to all the principles of democratic governance and of parliamentary governance.” - Sir Brian Alleyne, Former Acting Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Posted on: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 14:00:21 +0000
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