This article originally appeared in the Beacon’s print edition on Dec. 6.
A House of Assembly sitting has been officially rescheduled after concerns were raised last week over alleged violations of the standing orders that govern HOA proceedings.
The fourth sitting — what was intended to take place Nov. 27 — has been scheduled for next Thursday. Members of the press were notified about the date 15 days in advance.
During the ill-fated Nov. 27 sitting, Speaker of the House Ingrid Moses-Scatliffe read a letter that Opposition Leader Andrew Fahie had written, detailing what he believed to be “ongoing” breaches of various sections of the standing orders.
Standing order eight stipulates that a clerk must give the notice paper for a sitting to each member of the House at least ten days in advance, and also must provide an order paper at least five days before the sitting.
However, members were not notified about the date for that sitting until Nov. 19, only eight days in advance. Mr. Fahie argued that the sitting was therefore illegal.
“So anything that happens here today, anybody in the public or anyone else can legally ask for it to be overturned,” he said.
In his letter to the speaker, Mr. Fahie also referenced a section of standing order ten, which states that a sitting should begin at 10 a.m., “or at such other time as the speaker may from time to time determine.”
Several legislators had arrived about an hour late after attending a ceremony for Sharleen DaBreo, director of the Department of Disaster Management, who was honoured as a Member of the Order of the British Empire.
Ms. Moses-Scatliffe later sided with Mr. Fahie.
“Today’s session, for lack of a better word, is now adjourned,” she said.