JAMAICA | Opposition walks out of Parliament after no-confidence motion against PM was blocked by the Speaker

KINGSTON, Jamaica October 2, 2024 - In a dramatic turn of events that could rival a Jamaican soap opera, the hallowed halls of Kingston's Parliament erupted into chaos on Tuesday afternoon.

The opposition People's National Party (PNP) staged a theatrical walkout, their exit punctuated by the thunderous applause of government MPs, after a motion of no-confidence aimed at Prime Minister Andrew Holness was unceremoniously blocked.

The political spectacle began when opposition leader Mark Golding attempted to introduce a motion that would censure the Prime Minister for alleged breaches of the Ministerial Code of Conduct. 

This latest salvo in the ongoing political skirmish stems from Holness' uncertified statutory declarations and the Integrity Commission's decision to involve the Financial Investigations Division (FID) in probing the PM's business dealings.

Golding, playing the role of crusading watchdog, has been relentless in his calls for Holness to step down, accusing the Prime Minister of keeping mum about an illicit enrichment investigation. 

Holness, for his part, has threatened legal action against opposition members, with the timing of his notification about the investigation serving as the crux of the potential lawsuit.

As Golding began to introduce his motion with the words, "...the prime minister did not inform the people of Jamaica that he was being investigated by the Integrity Commission...", he was swiftly silenced by Deputy Speaker Heroy Clarke. 

The chamber erupted into a cacophony of voices, with government MP Pearnel Charles Jr. leaping to his feet, declaring, "I don't even need to hear another word."

The parliamentary ping-pong intensified as Charles Jr. warned against breaching standing orders by discussing matters sub judice. "You can't understand if you don't listen, permit yourself to use your ears and not yuh mouth," he quipped, in a moment of political theater that would make Shakespeare proud.

Clarke, temporarily occupying the speaker's chair, then delivered a masterclass in parliamentary procedure. Quoting from both the standing orders and Erskine May's Parliamentary Practice, he ruled Golding's motion "out of order" faster than you can say "Jamaica, land we love."

Undeterred, Golding attempted to continue, claiming ignorance of the sub judice nature of the matter. "What this motion engages, is simply a matter of a breach of the ministerial code of conduct by the prime minister...," he began, before being drowned out by the chorus of government MPs who have circled their wagons around Holness since the Integrity Commission's report became public.

In a final act of political defiance, Golding led his PNP colleagues in a mass exodus from the chamber, leaving behind a trail of applause from their government counterparts. 

As the dust settled on this latest episode of Jamaica's political drama, one thing became clear: in the high-stakes game of parliamentary chess, the opposition's bold gambit had been decisively checkmated.

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