Opposition Member of Parliament for Barataria/San Juan Saddam Hosein has been suspended from the House of Representatives for seven days after being found to have displayed 'gross disorder'.
The suspension was upheld by a vote of the House that ended with 19 in favour and 17 against.
The matter arose when Hosein was contributing to debate on the Mid-Term Review and began speaking on a court ruling that San Fernando West MP Faris Al-Rawi warned might be sub-judice.
After a short back-and-forth tussle on the topic, House Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George eventually ruled on the matter and advised Hosein to move on.
Hosein replied, "Madame Speaker, this is really oppressive what is happening in this Parliament, especially with the Standing Orders that are being raised by the other side."
The Speaker intervened and told Hosein, "When I rule, I rule. I want you to apologise for what you just said or suffer the consequences for it."
Hosein then told the Speaker that he wanted to immediately end his contribution and after being allowed to, he began speaking again about what he considered to be oppressive behaviour in the House.
As Finance Minister Colm Imbert rose to conclude the debate, Hosein again interrupted with loud discord, at which point the Speaker "called to the attention of House, the behaviour of member for Barataria San Juan" which she said amounted to "gross disorder".
The Speaker then called on a member of the House to invoke clause 55.7 of the Standing Orders, which refers to the Speaker feeling incapable of controlling of the proceedings and which dictates that the person preventing the control, to be named.
Laventille West MP Fitzgerald Hinds introduced the Standing Order to the House and moved that Hosein "be suspended from the service of this House".
The matter was then put to the vote, which then ended with Hosein being suspended for a period of one week.
