Opposition Walks Out after Unparliamentary Language is Used
The five-member opposition, led by Collet Area Representative Patrick Faber, walked out of the National Assembly this afternoon, following the use of an offensive remark made by Cayo South Area Representative Julius Espat. In rising on a point of order, the Leader of the Opposition was referred to as a boy. The term, while belittling when referring to an adult male, also carries a racial connotation depending on its use. It was enough to trigger a walkout when the Speaker of the House did not get Espat to apologize for the pejorative language. Here’s how that exchange unfolded.
Patrick Faber, Area Representative, Collet
“Madam Speaker…”
Julius Espat
Julius Espat, Area Representative, Cayo South
“Madam Speaker, I am not yielding to him.”
Patrick Faber
“It’s a point of order, you must yield.”
Julius Espat
“I don’t must. You sit down boy.”
Patrick Faber
Patrick Faber
“Madam Speaker, I will ask you to have him apologize to me. That remark is completely unparliamentary.”
Julius Espat
“Madam Speaker, I will repeat myself, emergency funding of twelve million dollars was spent. Madam Speaker, twelve million dollars was spent when it was never spent before. Twelve million dollars built a hundred roads, twelve million dollars hired forty contractors. Twelve million dollars was spent legally.”
Patrick Faber
“Madam Speaker, this member is really out of order and if you refuse to discipline him, if he can call me a boy, what if I would call you gial? What if I call you gial and ih just wahn strike affa di record? That would be the most disrespectful thing. I demand an apology from him, Madam Speaker and if we don’t get that then we are gone.”
In responding to the backlash following today’s house meeting, Espat took to social media where he wrote, “during the discourse I used the word “bway”, and it was used on the basis of immaturity, and never from an alleged racial connotation. For the record, the recording of what was said in the House, and News Five’s verbatim transcription, do not support Espat’s claim he used the word in its Creole context.
