'We are in a constitutional crisis' – Hon Maduro-Caines on D4 Saga
With House Speaker Hon Julian Willock and HoA Representative-Elect, Mr Mark H. Vanterpool heading the Court of Appeal for a final ruling on the saga, the District 6 representative says, it cannot go on that District 4 is without representation for such a long period.
Speaking with reporters shortly before the Third Sitting of the First Session of the Fourth House yesterday Friday, May 17, 2019, Hon Maduro-Caines said that because the period has passed for which time an elected member should be sworn in, this puts the governing of the country at risk of a full takeover by the UK.
'I am afraid' - Maduro-Canes
“We are in a constitutional crisis because the time has lapsed where a district is without a representative and this can’t go on,” she warned.
“I am afraid of what we are doing now is beckoning the UK to come and take over,” the Opposition Member implored.
“We do belong to them and they have some stringent rules that they put on us but we are looking at a complete... constitutional crisis," Honourable Alvera Maduro-Caines posited.
Further, she says, “And if that happens, and persons are saying it should happen, but I don’t think they understand what they are saying... we have a chance at becoming slaves in our own country if something like that happens.”
She expressed more concerns, noting, “The Court [High Court] Order was given for Honourable Vanterpool to be sworn in and the Speaker [Hon Julian Willock] is not adhering to that.”
Rethink Immigration Reform
While at the HoA, Honourable Maduro-Caines also lent her support to the group which was seeking to have Premier Fahie rethink to process he was pursuing to have the 1st, 2nd and 3rd reading of a Bill entitled Immigration and Passport (Amendment) Act done at yesterday’s sitting of the House.
While the 2nd and 3rd readings have since been deleted, she noted, “I too feel that some more thought should have gone into it, rather than having it rushed. While I am not against anybody getting status, the process of how it is being done tends to make you question the rush into it."
Meanwhile, in the current D4 Conundrum, while many persons, including the High Court had expressed concern that the Fourth District constituents have been without a representative since the First Sitting of the First Session of the Fourth House of Assembly on Tuesday, March 12, 2019, this is not necessarily the case as the four At-Large Representatives are also responsible for the districts.
Genesis
The controversy began on March 5, 2019, after Mr Vanterpool—who won the Fourth District seat in the February 25, 2019 polls—submitted his resignation to the HoA with a letter addressed to the Clerk of the House as a Speaker had not yet been named.
Following that, Mr Vanterpool recanted his resignation on March 14, 2019, citing incorrect resignation procedure, while noting that the people of his district had encouraged him to continue being their representative.
Speaker Willock, however, had stated the resignation was already accepted and refused to swear Mr Vanterpool into the HoA, leading to the entire conundrum which is now at the final Appeal Court stage, following a High Court ruling in favour of Mr Vanterpool.
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