St. George’s, September 18, 2012 – The two highest ranking members of the Grenada administration, Prime Minister Tillman Thomas and his deputy, have said that the prorogation of parliament has nothing to do with a no-confidence motion that was pending debate in the House of Representatives.
MP Karl Hood, who resigned in May as Foreign Minister, had filed the motion with the clerk of parliament, accusing the government of failing to “fulfill its promise to implement programmes that were marketed to deliver economic and social development to the people of the State of Grenada.’’
Hood, now a government backbencher in parliament, also claimed that the “dismal mismanagement of the economy’’ had resulted in joblessness rising to “astronomical levels’’.
He and three other government backbenchers, as well as the four opposition MPs, have been pressing for parliament to reconvene. and there have been strong suggestions that most parliamentarians were ready to support the motion.
However, in a two-paragraph statement on Monday, Prime Minister Thomas announced that he had requested Governor General, Sir Carlyle Glean, to prorogue parliament.
The action puts an end to the current session of parliament and the house can remain on recess for up to six months. It also makes null and void all bills and motions that were due to be tabled for debate in the just-ended session.
Prime Minister Thomas, who had charged the opposition New National Party (NNP) with instigating Hood’s no-confidence motion, said Monday that the people who want to see its passage in parliament are not concerned about Grenadians.
“it’s a game they’re playing,’’ said the prime minister, adding that supporters of the motion are also trying to “stall’’ the National Democratic Congress because the ruling party is “forging ahead’’.
For his part, Finance Minister Nazim Burke called Hood’s motion a “weak attempt’’ to replicate one that was filed in May by the parliamentary opposition but which was defeated.
Burke, who is also NDC deputy leader, said the motion by the former foreign minister is a document of “no quality’’, and there was “no need to prorogue parliament to defeat it’’.
Opposition leader and former prime minister, Dr. Keith Mitchell, condemned Monday’s formal suspension of the current session of parliament.
He said it further complicates a difficult situation already facing the country.
“It can only go from bad to worse,’’ Mitchell said.
