By Oscar Ramjeet
Caribbean Net News Special Correspondent
Email: oscar@caribbeannetnews.com  

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: Speaker of the Trinidad and Tobago Parliament Barry Sinanan told members of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) in Malaysia, according to a Trinidad Guardian report, that he has “no problem” with Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday's reinstatement to the House.

Sinanan said that Panday was suspended, during a House sitting in March, for the rest of the current session, for disrespecting the Chair since he failed to heed an order by him (as Speaker and Presiding Officer) to stop using his laptop computer.

The Guardian reported that Sinanan explained that the Opposition could have filed a motion to reinstate Panday the same day he was suspended, but it took some four months to do that.

He said that Panday's reinstatement will be determined by the House, which suspended him. The Speaker made it quite clear that he did not suspend the Opposition leader.

The Speaker, who led Trinidad and Tobago's three member delegation to the conference, said the concerns of CPA members were allayed when he told them, "Panday was not suspended for using a laptop, but for showing disregard to the Chair."

Opposition member of Parliament, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, a former Attorney General, said members at the CPA 54th Conference in Malaysia expressed dismay at the reason and period of Panday's suspension.

The Speaker said after his explanation that delegates did not seem "perturbed or too concerned" about Panday's suspension.