In hindsight, the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) must now be ruing the day it followed, without objection, the established convention of supporting the selection of Member of Parliament and, up till then, Deputy Speaker Juliet Holness to the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives.

This error has caused the party to now have egg on its face after Opposition leader and party President Mark Golding in Parliament on Tuesday questioned the performance of the Speaker’s tenure with respect to some governance issues while being the wife of Prime Minister Andrew Holness, the head of Government and her being the titular head of Parliament.

A fuming Prime Minister Holness, and no doubt an embarrassed husband, packed up his stuff and exited the hallowed House in a huff, having deemed the Opposition leader’s utterances as a “low blow and desperate”. Not surprisingly, he was followed by all his parliamentary colleagues present, leaving the honourable House without the required quorum of 16 members, thus setting a dangerous and irresponsible precedent.

In the end, Deputy Speaker Heroy Clarke had no choice but to adjourn Parliament indefinitely after the five minutes allowed for the House to resume with a quorum had elapsed. Indeed one of the darkest moments in the nation’s Parliament, thanks to our lawmakers who behaved like petulant brats.

One of the takeaways from this political ‘cass-cass’ has been the reactions of a number of prominent women in the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) along with some men who have embarked on a path of disparaging Golding for being misogynistic.

This writer has carefully examined what the Opposition leader said that day in Parliament and I am yet to come across any glaring evidence of him being anti-women or disrespectful to the Speaker.

This is clearly a case of gas lighting, which speaks to the level of hypocrisy and obfuscation in our political discourse. It may be said that Golding could have been more subtle in his language, but I saw no evidence of defamation. What unfolded was the usual cut and thrust, which is customary in parliamentary debates the world over.

So where do we go from here? To begin with, the question must be asked as to whether the Opposition leader should be allowed to complete his budget presentation in Parliament so that it can be duly recorded in Hansard, which is part of his constitutional right and obligation as His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, notwithstanding the completion of his prepared text outside Parliament to a select crowd. And Golding and his team must be commended for having turned up to Parliament to sit through the prime minister’s presentation.

In the meantime, the prime minister, while being combative, must bear in mind that he must lead by example, though still smarting from Golding’s perceived barbs.

Undoubtedly, this current scenario points to the fact that certain rules of engagement will have to be revisited, including whether closely aligned relatives should hold certain sensitive posts simultaneously in Parliament. Let’s face it, a husband and wife team at the helm of Government and the legislature may not be the best practice in the sphere of public affairs.

This situation should be examined within the context of the current thrust in constitutional reform as the nation moves towards becoming a republic. Nepotism, cronyism, and cliquism can be detrimental to good governance, especially in a small island State such as ours where just about everybody knows everybody! In this regard, the Office of the Political Ombudsman must be strengthened and well resourced so that it can act as an effective and impartial arbiter when necessary.

The time has come, too, for Parliament to review its rules and regulations as well as standing orders. To put it bluntly, our parliamentarians have been for the most part too lazy, merely going along willy-nilly with that which we inherited from our colonial masters. The recent ruling of the Privy Council with respect to the Vybz Kartel matter clearly demonstrates that not only must there be constitutional reform, but even more importantly, legal reform on a much wider scale.

Of course, based on what has transpired so far, both the prime minister and the Speaker are now faced with certain inevitable questions of transparency, accountability, and impartiality. Juliet Holness will have to walk a very tight rope so as not to give any reason to doubt her integrity and impartiality in dealing with parliamentary affairs.

The unresolved issues relating to the Integrity Commission’s reports to Parliament, the opinion of the Attorney General that was sought and given but not disclosed to the whole House, and the ongoing mystery surrounding the so-called ‘illicit six’ must be fulsomely dealt with, barring any breaches of the House’s standing orders or procedures. To further delay these disclosures will most certainly cause many concerned citizens, the Jamaican Diaspora, and the wider international community to question whether there is, in fact, a hidden agenda as had been suspected.

When all is said and done and the dust has settled, it may well suit both Holness and Golding to meet face to face in camera to sort out this imbroglio once and for all. As a nation, we must not fool ourselves by thinking that this controversial matter can be buried and conveniently forgotten. Especially in the context of what is likely to be an intense and contentious electioneering period, the way in which the Speaker conducts the people’s business in the House of Parliament will be closely scrutinised, and any slipping or perceived departure from impartiality, balance, and transparency will cause not only raised eyebrows but may well lead to scenes similar to that which happened recently.

No matter how we spin it, the spectre of a husband and wife at the helm of Government will continue to create unease and leave many questions unanswered. In this vein, to quote a line from William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, “Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion.”

Lloyd B Smith has been involved in Jamaican media for the past 48 years. He has served as a Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. He hails from western Jamaica where he is popularly known as the Governor. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or lbsmith4@gmail.com.