Ramnath leads Kamla in walkout

Ramnath leads Kamla in walkout … Couva South MP started walkout by ‘poohar’ UNC MPs
*By SHARMAIN BABOOLAL*
KAMLA PERSAD-BISSESSAR tried to come out smelling like roses after her first stint as Opposition Leader in the House of Representatives last Friday. But as it turned out, Couva South MP, Kelvin Ramnath, was the real Opposition Leader on that afternoon when the configuration of the United National Congress (UNC) benches changed dramatically within a few hours. It’s not that the Panday-anointed Siparia MP was not enthusiastic about her first day which she eventually described as a “baptism of fire”. She’s probably still hoping that no one noticed that it was Ramnath who led the walkout, after Caroni East MP, Ganga Singh refused to give way for her contribution on a private motion which called on the government to initiate a Commission of Inquiry into the allegations by Vernon Paul that high-ranking members of the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) were responsible for planting cocaine and missiles in the water tank at the home of Senator Sadiq Baksh. When she arrived for last week’s historic sitting, Persad-Bissessar was really happy and smiling. As she entered the Chamber, she immediately walked over to Leader of the House, Ken Valley and extended her hand. After acknowledging her, Valley decided to get lost in his cellphone and ignored her slightly until she, too, got wise and played with her mobile. Ganga Singh also walked over, but was greeted warmly by the PNM posse. With that, you would have expected Kamla to settled into her seat, but she left the Chamber mere minutes before Speaker Barry Sinanan walked in. By this time, the ever-growing back-bench posse was in place, but the front benches remained empty, with only Chief Whip, Ganga Singh in his usual place. When Sinanan walked in promptly at 1.30 p.m., he had to make a mental count to ensure that he had a quorum. Sure enough, the sitting began after a few usually tardy PNM MPs hustled to their seats. But it appears Kamla had been rallying her “poohar” bunch: Adesh Nanan, Hamza Rafeeq, Harry Partap, Roodal Moonilal and Nizam Baksh, to present a united front as they entered the Chamber behind her.	KAMLA PERSAD-BISSESSAR tries to engage KEN VALLEY. Note the empty front benches in the first few minutes of Last Friday’s sitting. KAMLA and her “poohar” bunch wait to make a grand entrance. The Speaker seems to throw his hands in the air. KAMLA walks out. Note: KELVIN RAMNATH is already missing.
And when she passed by Ganga Singh’s chair (she sat next to him) you would have never guessed that they had a fall-out. It was skin teeth as usual. Well, everybody made her high. Even the prime minister and Winston Dookeran congratulated her ascension to the throne. In less than 15 minutes, however, she made at least two trips to the Speaker’s platform to get him to acknowledge that she wanted to speak on the motion. The Speaker subsequently spoke with the Chief Whip and the Leader of the House -- and if you check the photo you can see that he looks almost as if he’s ready to throw his hands in the air. Kamla later confessed that her decision to speak was taken a few minutes before the sitting when Ganga insisted that he was winding up the debate and that was final! When the Chief Whip refused to allow Roodal Moonilal to make a contribution -- even though he had made a request a few days before -- Kamla later confessed she jumped into the brew and said “Then, I will talk!” And because the Opposition Leader and the Chief Whip were at loggerheads, they turned to Sinanan to settle their differences. The Speaker decided that Ganga caught his eye first and that he would speak, which meant that Kamla lost big time. Just as she sat down to eat humble pie, Kelvin Ramnath saved the day for her. Ramnath, who arrived in the House after Kamla staged her united walk in, simply picked up his briefcase and muttered something under his breath, while he walked away. Others on the front bench started moving and it was only when two more left, she stood and walked off. The Opposition Leader was heckled by government MPs as she made her way out. Roodal Moonilal and Nizam Baksh remained sitting, but Ken Valley shouted “Roodal, you have to go, too, you know!” Well, the Oropouche MP suddenly remembered to whom he gave his loyalty and packed his papers and left. Nizam Baksh, always the reluctant bride, was last to leave. And there seemed to be a kind of peace over the Lower House as Ganga Singh read a statement explaining his decision to resign as Chief Whip, playing to the gallery for the last time. His days were numbered in any event. He did not even officially wind up the motion, which came to a total waste, in any event. Ganga basked in the limelight as the PNM MPs noted, for the records, the contributions that he made to the House and pounded their desks in approval of his resignation.

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