I categorically condemn Members of Parliament Anand Persaud and Kwame McCoy’s verbal sexualised attacks on Member of Parliament Juretha Fernandes during the sitting of the Budget Debate on Tuesday, 23rd Jan 2024, and express dismay Speaker Manzoor Nadir did not find such unbecoming behaviour deserving to direct MPs Persaud and McCoy to apologise and leave the House, forthwith.
This is not only an attack on a female parliamentarian, but every woman and girl. The struggle for women’s rights and respect have not made strides for society to dismiss such unbecoming behaviours lest we risk joining these men in the reversal of gains.
On Monday Speaker Nadir, prior to the commencement of the debate, addressed the House and urged the upholding of propriety and decorum. Within 30 minutes MP McCoy violated the directive. Thankfully, he was reprimanded by the Speaker.
There is something amiss in the current PPP leadership that manifests in depraved behaviours such as alleged spousal abuse, alleged sexual assault of a teenager, brandishing a dildo in the House, screaming “rape, rape, rape” and reducing a heinous crime to parliamentary banter, or allegedly hitting another MP. These offending behaviours are executed under the misguided notion parliamentary immunity means a free pass to social debauchery.
We must ask what examples these Members of Parliament are setting for society, women, girls and boys. Lest persons seek to deflect by comparing these verbal and sexualised behaviours with other acts in parliament, behaviours must be judged on merit and the behaviours of MPs McCoy and Persaud are beyond the pale.
Rather than get on with the serious business of governance some in the PPP leadership seem to have a bad case of sexual preoccupation. These unbecoming conducts should not only be the concern of the National Assembly but the entire society because members within the PPP leadership are targeting females with vulgar, coarse behaviours.
The parliamentary working environment is becoming very hostile for women. If this reprehensible behaviour is not brought to an end, husbands, partners, children and other loved ones will have reason to fear this workplace condones violence- verbal, physical or otherwise- towards women. It will also become a disincentive for women to want to participate in public service at this level.
Open disregard and assault on women are not deserving of responses akin to ostriches but befitting standards the National Assembly ought to set and exemplify. Members McCoy and Persaud’s verbally abusive, disrespectful and uncouth behaviours must be condemned in no uncertain terms.
I speak not only as a Member of this August body but as a Senior Counsel and officer of the court to say these MPs’ behaviors are not normative values of the National Assembly and should not be embraced.
