Speaker of the House Strikes Down No-Confidence Motion
The Leader of the Opposition’s highly anticipated No-Confidence Motion was struck down by House Speaker Valerie Woods in the National Assembly earlier today. As a result, the motion was not debated during today’s sitting of the House of Representatives. On Thursday, Woods wrote to the Leader of the Opposition informing him of the decision. She said that the motion infringes on the Standing Orders by imputing improper motives in respect of a minister and minister of state. Woods further explained the reasons behind her decision during her address at the start of today’s sitting.
Valerie Woods, Speaker of the House
“The motion also makes accusations of malfeasance against the Prime Minister, a civil wrong for which no court of law has made any such pronouncement. That was stated in the ninth and tenth recitals. In addition the substantive part of the private member’s motion sought to have debate on the lawfulness or otherwise of a matter that is the Portico Agreement, which is the subject matter of an existing claim before the High Court. AS members may be aware on the eleventh of July 2023 three companies filed a claim on which the claimants are asking the court to pronounce the lawfulness of the Portico Agreement. It is a cardinal principle of our constitutional democracy that Parliament will not engage in a debate on a subject matter that is before the courts for determination. The member was advised that in keeping with standing order 25 2 (A), the No Confidence Motion 2023 will not be placed on the order paper for this House Meeting as it contravenes the above mentioned standing orders.”