Morgan condemns Opposition MPs over confrontation in Parliament

Deputy Leader of Government Business Robert Nesta Morgan has condemned the conduct of Opposition members during Tuesday's sitting of the House of Representatives, singling out Manchester North Western MP Mikael Phillips over an expletive-laden confrontation with Government MP Desmond McKenzie.

In a statement Wednesday, Morgan accused several Opposition members of engaging in what he described as unparliamentary behaviour during and after the sitting, which was marked by heated exchanges over a motion censuring the Government for abstaining from a United Nations resolution calling for an end to the United States embargo on Cuba.

Morgan said tensions escalated shortly after the House was adjourned, when Phillips verbally confronted House Speaker Juliet Holness. According to Morgan, McKenzie intervened and urged Phillips to show respect to the speaker, prompting Phillips to respond with expletives before moving aggressively towards the West Kingston MP.

Morgan said Phillips had to be restrained by several members of the House. He also referred to video footage that he said appeared to show Phillips making physical contact with Opposition Leader Mark Golding as he moved towards McKenzie.

“We wish to decry the unparliamentary behaviour of several members of the Opposition, both during the sitting of the House, as we were carrying out the nation's business, and after,” Morgan said.

He singled out Golding over comments allegedly directed at the speaker and Opposition MP Angela Brown Burke over remarks Morgan said she made off microphone. He reserved particular criticism for Phillips over the confrontation with McKenzie.

“We are representatives of the people. Our duty is to go to Parliament and conduct the business of the country and the people of Jamaica in a respectful and professional manner,” he said.

Morgan said the Government would not condone the conduct and argued that it reflected poorly on Parliament and set a negative example for the public.

“Our side, that is the Government side, will not tolerate, condone or support the type of behaviour that we saw today [Tuesday] in Parliament from the Opposition. It sets a bad example to everyone who is observing what is happening in the House,” he said.

He also sought to distinguish the conduct of Opposition members from that of Government MPs.

“We do not want it to be said that all parliamentarians or the Parliament is behaving in this manner. The distinction must be made that the behaviour was of the Opposition and not the Government side. A behaviour that we condemn, a behaviour that we reject and a behaviour that we will constantly speak and act against,” Morgan added.

The confrontation followed a contentious sitting during which Opposition members protested after Leader of Government Business Floyd Green called for debate on the censure motion to be brought to an end.

The motion, brought by Opposition MP Anthony Hylton, challenged the Government's decision to abstain from an Oct. 28 United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for an end to the US embargo on Cuba.

Jamaica's abstention marked the first time the country had not supported the resolution since it was first introduced in 1992.