Is Speaker Patrick Pillay above the law?
Three weeks ago this newspaper reported that the Kangaroo Court that the Anti-Victimization Committee had set up was being challenged in the Constitutional Court. The case against the Speaker and the Anti-Victimization Committee brought by former Speaker (Herminie) before the Constitutional Court was heard two weeks ago. It now turns out that the Constitutional Court wants to hear from the Chairperson and the entire Committee, who happens to be Speaker Patrick Pillay and seven other honorable (kangaroos) members. The Speaker, who believes that he is above the law, is not a happy person judging by his reaction and comments on the issue on Tuesday morning in the National Assembly.
“As the Speaker and Chairman of that group it is unfortunate that we have reached this stage for the first time in the history of the National Assembly - where the Speaker and his committee have been ordered to appear before the Constitutional Court. I am saying it is unfortunate because recently, very recently, we spoke on the separation of powers and said that the three branches of government should not interfere in the work of one another. We made a joint statement after our meeting at State House………” Speaker Pillay said in the morning session amongst many other things regarding this issue.
We are of the view that the Speaker of the National Assembly has made three major mistakes in his deliberations on Tuesday morning with regards to the case before the Constitutional Court:
1. The Speaker projected the notion that the provision of the National Assembly (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act 2011 override the Constitution and makes the National Assembly untouchable and places it above the law.
2. He projected the other notion that the Court that has initiated proceedings against that Standing Committee and therefore the Court/Judges should be investigated.
3. He is putting trial by media (Which he has easy access to) over and above the jurisdiction of the Court to hear and determine complaints filed by aggrieved persons and ignores completely that both himself and SBC might be taken to task on the issue of sub-judice.
Patrick Pillay is a very naïve politician for him to believe that he cannot be challenged in a court of law just because he is the Speaker of the National Assembly – even in situations where he is over stating his privileges and power as the Speaker or in his capacity as chairperson of any committee in the National Assembly. He needs to fire the cowboy who is giving him that kind of advice.
It goes to show that Pillay is still cultivating the mentality of SPPF/PL that they could do no wrong and that they were above the law. This is the mentality that he and others have taken to the LDS way of thinking and if ever, god forbid, they get into power it will a dictatorship all over again. Speaker Pillay believes that he is above everybody else in the country and this is why he is angry whenever the issue of land grabbing is mentioned. Like every one of us Speaker Pillay will have to account for all the plots of land he took from government when he was a minister. Flory and Alex will not allow him to get away with it….
Independent
“As the Speaker and Chairman of that group it is unfortunate that we have reached this stage for the first time in the history of the National Assembly - where the Speaker and his committee have been ordered to appear before the Constitutional Court. I am saying it is unfortunate because recently, very recently, we spoke on the separation of powers and said that the three branches of government should not interfere in the work of one another. We made a joint statement after our meeting at State House………” Speaker Pillay said in the morning session amongst many other things regarding this issue.
We are of the view that the Speaker of the National Assembly has made three major mistakes in his deliberations on Tuesday morning with regards to the case before the Constitutional Court:
1. The Speaker projected the notion that the provision of the National Assembly (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act 2011 override the Constitution and makes the National Assembly untouchable and places it above the law.
2. He projected the other notion that the Court that has initiated proceedings against that Standing Committee and therefore the Court/Judges should be investigated.
3. He is putting trial by media (Which he has easy access to) over and above the jurisdiction of the Court to hear and determine complaints filed by aggrieved persons and ignores completely that both himself and SBC might be taken to task on the issue of sub-judice.
Patrick Pillay is a very naïve politician for him to believe that he cannot be challenged in a court of law just because he is the Speaker of the National Assembly – even in situations where he is over stating his privileges and power as the Speaker or in his capacity as chairperson of any committee in the National Assembly. He needs to fire the cowboy who is giving him that kind of advice.
It goes to show that Pillay is still cultivating the mentality of SPPF/PL that they could do no wrong and that they were above the law. This is the mentality that he and others have taken to the LDS way of thinking and if ever, god forbid, they get into power it will a dictatorship all over again. Speaker Pillay believes that he is above everybody else in the country and this is why he is angry whenever the issue of land grabbing is mentioned. Like every one of us Speaker Pillay will have to account for all the plots of land he took from government when he was a minister. Flory and Alex will not allow him to get away with it….
Independent
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