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National Assembly is not “the wild, wild West!”

HighlightsNational Assembly is not “the wild, wild West!”

House Speaker Michael Peyrefitte read a statement at the start of today’s House meeting admonishing parliamentarians to observe the highest standards of conduct and decorum, and to no longer carry on as if the National Assembly is “the wild, wild West.”

The statement was made in line with public reaction decrying the exchanges between parliamentarians in the last meeting of the House of Representatives, after the People’s United Party member for Belize Rural Central rose on adjournment to lodge a complaint against the sergeant of arms – Brian “Yellowman” Audinett, on the claim that he had been seen drinking beer and urinating in public, and furthermore that he is accused of having very recently assaulted a police officer. Garcia also pointed to an assault conviction.

Peyrefitte said that he found two of the allegations to be unfortunate and one to be legitimate.

He said that there was no evidence provided of the “supposed conviction in court” which was said to date back to 2006.

“Even if so, that was 2 years before he became the sergeant of arms and would, therefore, have nothing to do with behavior as sergeant of arms,” Peyrefitte added.

Secondly, he said that Garcia’s reference to a matter currently before the court runs contrary to House rules.

Peyrefitte said that while Audinett is being accused, among other things, of assault of a police officer—and there is indeed such a charge—both Garcia and the Leader of the Opposition, Francis Fonseca, who also complained about Audinett, are senior attorneys who know that a person is innocent until proven guilty and that a matter before the court cannot be discussed in Parliament.

The House Speaker conceded, though, that the concerns about public drinking and other behaviors are “considered legitimate concerns, if indeed the behavior is true.”

He said that he has told the sergeant of arms that “he must make an extra special effort to not even appear to be behaving inappropriately.”

Peyrefitte added that the Leader of Opposition is correct that the sergeant of arms has a great responsibility and his actions “must be beyond question.”

Peyrefitte expressed the view, though, that Garcia should have brought the concerns to him privately.

As for the response of Michael Finnegan, the United Democratic Party’s Mesopotamia representative, to Garcia’s statement about the sergeant of arms, who is one of his constituents and a prominent campaigner, the speaker said that Finnegan “rose to the defense of his son…” but has since apologized publicly to the nation, to both sides of the House (the UDP and PUP) and to him personally – an apology which he deems to also apply to Garcia.

Garcia was offended by comments Finnegan made which have been characterized as inappropriate “sexual innuendos” and a threat by Finnegan to expose certain deeds of her and her husband.

The Leader of the Opposition has called for Finnegan to personally apologize to Garcia. However, Peyrefitte said that he will not even attempt to compel Finnegan to apologize, because it would only be fair for him to also compel Garcia to apologize personally to Audinett, since, in his view, some of “her comments about him were also unacceptable…”

At the close of his statement, Peyrefitte urged Finnegan and Garcia to mend fences, saying “I would encourage minister and member to meet privately, work the matter out and move on…”

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