The opposition leader has repeatedly said: “You are the shame to the democracy”.
Clearly, each session of Parliament brings its share of new words and expressions. After the “collect him”now the speaker asks Shakeel Mohamed to “Rest in peace!”, this Tuesday, May 21. This, while the fiery opposition leader repeated one by one the words and phrases that Sooroojdev Phokeer had asked him to remove. Faced with the speaker’s remarks, Shakeel Mohamed repeated several times “you are the shame to the democracy”before adding “you are not worth as Speaker”.
After having expelled the leader of the opposition, an extremely rare occurrence in Parliament during a PNQ, the speaker threatened to kill him. “name”. “You know my name”replied Shakeel Mohamed.
Already, when Minister Dorine Chukowry transformed her responses to the PNQ into praise of the government, we could see the anger of the opposition leader who had asked the speaker to tell the minister to answer her specific questions. “Time is going on, please ask the minister to reply at specific questions.” The speaker had to answer him: “If the minister considers it the appropriate answer, what can I do?” And Dorine Chukowry continued: “I am relevant”.
So much so did the minister return to earlier dates, to say what this government did and what Navin Ramgoolam had when he was Prime Minister, that Aadil Ameer Meea quipped: “It’s still 1968!”
“Communal”
It was when Shakeel Mohamed left the Chamber that members of the government began to make malicious remarks against him, “Gorah Isaac”. We heard Minister Bobby Hurreeram describe him as “communal”. Mahend Gungapersad, who was among those who accompanied Shakeel Mohamed as he left the Chamber, retraced his steps when he heard his name. Indeed, faced with Bobby Hurreeram’s remarks, Ritish Ramful, on a point of law, asked the speaker that the minister withdraw the words “opposition leader of shame” about Shakeel Mohamed. The speaker replied that he heard these words and Deepak Balgobin said “Gungapersad said it”. The red deputy, retracing his steps, intended to present a point of law but, following the speaker’s remarks, he threw him “you are the shame”. Without wasting any time, Sooroojdev Phokeer named him. Members of the government shouted at him “aret iron sinema”.
Also note the barely audible exchanges between Joanna Bérenger and Subhasnee Luchmun-Roy. It all started when Kavy Ramano asked Joanna Bérenger to go and ask Bruneau Laurette for advice about Wakashio. The MMM MP replied: “Zot konsians pa kler.” Subhasnee Luchmun-Roy, in return, made these comments: “Get kisana pe koz konsians.” Exchanges ensued that only the two knew what they were saying.
We cannot ignore this remark from Pravind Jugnauth, when he referred to the facilities offered by Richard Duval to Cindy Legallant. According to the Prime Minister, the New Democrats MP had made this request on behalf of his cousin. Wanting to be humorous, Pravind Jugnauth took up the Séga refrain: “Kouzin kouzinn, fer mwa kontan bel kouzinn!”
