Recent parliamentary walkouts in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis have raised serious concerns about the impartiality of parliamentary Speakers and the state of democratic accountability in the Caribbean. These incidents, as reported by Times Caribbean, underscore a growing crisis in regional governance. In Trinidad and Tobago, members of the opposition Peoples National Movement (PNM) staged a walkout on Friday evening, accusing the Speaker of bias and selective application of parliamentary rules. The opposition claimed their attempts to ask urgent questions and address the Prime Minister were consistently blocked, while government MPs engaged in disruptive behavior without consequences. The opposition criticized the Speaker’s failure to uphold constitutional standards, describing the situation as ‘untenable’ and emphasizing that Parliament belongs to the people, not any political party or individual. Political analysts in Port of Spain noted that this incident reflects a broader erosion of confidence in Caribbean parliamentary traditions, which are modeled after British procedures but now face accusations of bias and procedural manipulation. Meanwhile, in St. Kitts, former Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris staged a solitary walkout, protesting the Assembly’s failure to approve parliamentary minutes for over three years. Harris condemned the Speaker’s attempt to approve all outstanding minutes in a single sitting as a ‘flagrant breach of the Constitution and parliamentary tradition,’ arguing that minutes should be reviewed individually to ensure accuracy and transparency. Experts called this the first known instance in modern democratic history where a parliament had gone three years without confirming its minutes, dubbing it ‘A Parliamentary Scandal Without Precedent in the World.’ The controversy has sparked public outrage and calls for the Speaker’s resignation. Analysts view these incidents as indicative of a troubling regional trend, with Westminster-style parliamentary systems in the Caribbean facing challenges from rising partisanship and weakened institutional checks and balances. As one political analyst noted, ‘The Caribbean’s parliaments are on trial — not by the Opposition, but by history itself.’
Two separate Parliament walkouts in the Caribbean within one week; status quo under scrutiny
