Phokeer: Former PTr-MMM GM Allowed A Non-Elected Person To Become Speaker

At the very beginning of the session on Tuesday, Sooroojdev Phokeer returned to the incidents of last Friday in Parliament. Arvin Boolell was expelled, named, and suspended for 4 sessions. Sooroojdev Phokeer made a statement in which he replied to some of the comments made since these incidents. They relate to the way the Speaker of the House is appointed. Sooroojdev Phokeer recalled that the Speaker does not have to be a member of the National Assembly. And here he insisted that it was the former PTr-MMM government that had amended the Constitution to allow a non-elected person to be appointed Speaker. He said that since that amendment, Ramesh Jeewoolall, Dev Ramnah, Kailesh Prayag, Razack Peeroo and Maya Hanoomanjee have been appointed.