I should have had adequate notice of ‘scandalous’ motion amendments

Sherlock Isaacs

Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs has taken issue with what he termed “blame” being cast on him and his staff by Speaker Raphael Trotman over the delivery of amendments to a motion in a timely manner but Speaker says the amendments were “scandalous” and required careful attention.

Asked about the matter yesterday at a press conference, Trotman said he had not seen the complaint by the Clerk as set out in a letter to him, dated January 14th.  And while he added that he has the highest respect for the Clerk and his staff, he contended that the PPP/C’s amendments to Opposition Leader David Granger’s motion for an inquiry into criminal violence were of such magnitude that he should have been given notice of it prior to the convening of the National Assembly.

Sherlock Isaacs
Sherlock Isaacs

Trotman said the amendments made such serious and grave allegations against persons, including Members of Parliament, that were they allowed they could have caused “civil war” the very next day. He stressed that some of the practices observed in the past nine parliaments cannot be observed in the tenth parliament because there is too much at stake.

In his letter to Trotman, Isaacs said that it was with “great dismay” that he and his staff endured the explanation given to the Assembly last Thursday as it relates to