Tensions erupted in the House of Assembly on Monday as police were called to remove members of the Free National Movement (FNM) after a dramatic incident involving St. Barnabas Member of Parliament (MP) Shanendon Cartwright, who threw the ceremonial mace out of a chamber window.
Cartwright’s dramatic action, which saw the symbolic mace — a key emblem of parliamentary authority — hurled out of the window, was seen as an unprecedented breach of parliamentary decorum.
Following the disruption, House Speaker Patricia Deveaux ordered that Cartwright be ejected from the chamber. In a show of solidarity, several FNM MPs, including members of Cartwright's own party, linked arms and refused to leave.
In the face of resistance, police were called into the chamber to forcibly remove the FNM MPs. Officers swiftly entered, lifting the dissenting parliamentarians and escorting them out of the chamber one by one.
The scene was chaotic, with shouts and protestations echoing throughout the lower house. The police operation continued for several minutes, with several MPs being carried out despite their vocal opposition.
The dramatic events came on the heels of a protest staged by FNM members earlier in the day, triggered by the recent indictment of three law enforcement officers allegedly linked to a drug trafficking operation. FNM leaders have condemned what they describe as the government’s failure to properly address corruption within the police force and questioned the impartiality of ongoing investigations.
The dramatic events have intensified the political turmoil surrounding the current administration, with growing divisions over police corruption allegations and governance. Prime Minister Philip Davis has called for calm, urging all MPs to respect parliamentary procedures, while also vowing that any officer found guilty of criminal activity will be held accountable.
While the FNM protest was intended to express their dissatisfaction with ongoing law enforcement issues, it also raised questions about the future of cooperation in the House of Assembly. The opposition party has made it clear that they intend to continue challenging what they perceive as a failure of leadership from the governing Progressive Liberal Party.
As of late afternoon, the mace was recovered and returned to the chamber, where parliamentary proceedings resumed under heightened security. Despite the incident, Speaker Patricia Deveaux insisted that order would be maintained in the future, emphasizing the need for respectful conduct in the legislature.
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