Senate’s Mark Lizarraga: No Right to Disruption in National Assembly

There is mounting public outcry at the scandalous behavior of high profile U.D.P. operatives during recent senate hearings that are unraveling blatant corruption at the Immigration Department.  Business Senator Mark Lizarraga, among the more outspoken parliamentarians in the ongoing senate inquiry, was noticeably absent from last week’s dreadful session.  But that’s not to say that he was unaware of the actions which eventually led to the mayhem inside the Assembly Building. Macebearer Brian ‘Yellow Man’ Audinett threatened and assaulted journalist Marisol Amaya and the cameramen for Channel Seven and Plus TV, while U.D.P. Chairman Alberto August repeatedly interrupted Senator Eamon Courtenay.  In fact, the writings were on the wall from the previous meeting, when Lizarraga first observed operatives from the ruling party hurling insults at members of the interviewing panel from the gallery above.  The private sector representative says the behavior is deplorable, particularly because more is expected from the party in power.

Mark Lizarraga

Mark Lizarraga, Senator for Business Community

“I was not at last week’s sitting, as you know, but I was at the previous sitting where this episode or this matter first reared its ugly head.  And I will say this, I agree with the chairman and the president that persons in the gallery do not have a right to disturb the sessions.  That is in law.  They have a right to participate as observers only and they do not have a right to engage witnesses or parliamentarians.  So we’re all in agreement with that.  I think the honorable Godwin Hulse was interviewed and he stated that disruption is disruption and it should not be tolerated and I agree totally with them on that matter.  I did not hear what transpired in the tapes that I saw on the internet and on TV.  But certainly the body language I saw that was used by many in the House is certainly not the way one would expect persons of high rank within a political party, especially the party in power, to comport themselves inside the honorable house of parliament.”