KINGSTON, Jamaica— Opposition Leader Dr Peter Phillips led a walk out of Parliament today due to what the People’s National Party (PNP) says were “unparliamentary utterances” made by Leader of Government business in the Lower House Karl Samuda.

According to the PNP, Samuda began to question the motives of questions being asked by PNP Member of Parliament for Central Manchester, Peter Bunting.

“Mr Samuda was most contemptuous in his utterances and refused to apologise. He accused the Opposition of trying to overthrow the Government, breaching every rule of the Standing Order,” the party said in a release.

The PNP also said Speaker of the House, Pearnel Charles, did not intervene nor did he request a withdrawal of the utterances or an apology.

“Samuda in a cavalier and most disrespectful manner also characterised concerns raised by staff about sexual harassment by a board member at the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts (EMCVPA) as “suss”, falsely suggesting that Bunting was trafficking gossip,” the PNP said.

The party said this was a blatant mismanagement of the parliamentary processes by the Government.

It also stated that failure of the Speaker to ensure that established Standing Orders are enforced will send the wrong signal to Jamaica and the rest of the world that the nation’s governance structures are out of control.

“The indiscipline evident by the loose behaviour by some members of the House of Representatives cannot augur well for the future of the country,” the PNP said.

“Order must be returned to the foremost law making body as only when Parliament demonstrates a high level of discipline, can lawmakers demand and expect that Jamaica can pull away from the abyss of anarchy as evident by our very high crime rate and general indiscipline on our roads and in our institutions of learning,” the party added.