Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
caribbeannetnews.com

Dominica opposition wants Parliament live on TV

Thursday, November 23, 2006

by: Malaika Laurent
Caribbean Net News Dominica Correspondent
Email: malaika@caribbeannetnews.com

ROSEAU, Dominica: United Workers Party (UWP) leader Earl Williams believes that it is time for the rules and regulations of Parliament to be changed in Dominica, especially relating to media coverage.

In an interview this week, Williams says that he would like to see live television coverage of the House of Assembly proceedings. To date, only DBS is allowed to provide live radio coverage of Parliament.

He thinks that live coverage of the proceedings could improve the decorum of parliamentarians.

“I’ve seen it in Barbados, I’ve seen it in Trinidad, and it worked well. I think people have an opportunity to see the parliaments decorum, the manner in which they debate and everything,” Williams said.

Williams also added that clear guidelines on the rules regarding reporting procedures while Parliament is in session.

The UWP Leader was making reference to an incident recently when newspaper journalist Carlisle Jno Baptiste was expelled from the House of Assembly by Speaker Alix Boyd-Knight because of claims that rules were broken.

“The business of Parliament is the business of the people. Once it is the business of the people, the media has the full right to be there to cover and participate in the proceedings of the House of Assembly. Any attempt to hinder the proceedings in any way is an abuse of power.

“When the media is present in Parliament, they must conduct themselves according to the parliamentary rules, beyond that the media should not be fettered in any way,” Williams told The Times.

He believes that the rules of the House of Assembly should be prepared by the Broadcast Committee, presented to the House of Assembly for approval, and then sent to all the media houses so that all requirements are clear.

“The point is Parliament should have proper rules; it shouldn’t be in the whims and fancies of one individual.

“A media person will not come into Parliament and wonder what can I do, what can’t I do and it’s on a basis of who is the speaker and what they tell you at the time or if the particular speaker likes that person or if the particular speaker doesn’t like that person,” he said.

Print Page