Former Castries South East MP Guy Joseph has taken issue with House Speaker Claudius Francis, who called on police to intervene as Micoud South MP Allen Chastanet left parliament on Tuesday.
“Officer, he shall not leave. Officer, he shall not leave,” Francis said to the police on duty as Chastanet exited the House, followed by two female officers.
The Micoud South MP returned to the Chamber a short time later with the officers behind him and took his seat.
Guy Joseph said he would not have returned had he been in the same situation.
“You can put me out of the House. You cannot keep me in the House,” the former MP explained during an appearance Wednesday on the DBS Television programme Newsmaker Live.
The former Economic Development Minister declared that the ruling Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) must decide what it wants.
“You want him (Chastanet) to stay in the House to put him out of the House. That makes sense to you?” Joseph told programme Host Timothy Poleon.
After Chastanet returned to the Chamber, members voted to suspend him pending an apology for and retraction of statements he previously made.
“You are telling the police to keep him there, which is illegal, which is an infringement on his rights as an individual,” Joseph stated concerning the Speaker’s instructions to the police on duty in parliament regarding Chastanet.
Joseph said Chastanet could stand for himself.
And he referred to laws the labour administration has passed.
“These laws may not affect us today, but down the road we are going to pay a price as a country,” Joseph, Deputy leader of the opposition United Workers Party (UWP), warned.
“Everybody wants to sit and see this as an Allen Chastanet matter. This is not an Allen Chastanet matter. This is a matter of democracy. Our democracy is under threat,” the former Minister stated.
“Is this a circus?” Joseph asked regarding events in parliament.
Headline photo: (L to R) Claudius Francis, Guy Joseph & Allen Chastanet
This is not an Allen Chastanet matter. This is a matter of democracy. Our democracy is under threat,”
Only time I will agree with you. This is how authoritarianism begins. Slowly. Action by action, they take away your rights and freedoms.
The police themselves dont even know their job. every single man woman or child in st lucia have a right to walk away from anything. the man not in jail. he has not been charged with any crime. so who is cladius francis to ask for him to return to his seat and who is the police to get involved in that matter? whoever managing the police should let them know that their role is not to prevent any member of parliament walking away. the parliament not under physical threat. so allow them to maypwee each other with words that are not curse words. if one throw a punch, or get in the other face. you all get involved. make the police role very clear to these stupid SLP’s!
I call Chas “The Boss” for many reasons. The guy is also an excellent strategist and he has shown it over and over again. The idiot in this whole thing is the Speaker of the House. I just do not understand how he can fall into Chas’s trap again. The speaker does not seem to under stand the difference between Protocol and politics. The state has not paid the most recent bill of $150,000.00 and now he has found himself in a similar situation. The only person who is laughing right now is Chas. He has both Richard and the Speaker of the house exactly where he wanted them. No one can lie to the courts – now Richard has to present authentic documents which will be validated and the speaker will pay another court proceedings for Chas. I just feel sorry for the tax payers of St. Lucia – they will have to bite that cost. Chas, you are the main guy, without you in the house, nothing would come to light. I want to thank the people of Micoud for seeing who you are and despite all the accusations, they voted you back – Keep REPRESENTING CHAS. You have my support.
Guy Joseph is right the police can only put the guy out not deprive him of his freedom on the account of a man who proclaim himself a Judge. This was illegal
lol boy these fellas hate chas from time of that juffalli matter. once he puts things out in the light they want to shut him up in darkness
Claudius is a loser and the downfall of this Labour administration. He is good at one thing and one thing only, reaping the harvest without consent. But one day this idiot playing lawyer will end up where he truly deserves to be. $60,000 was sufficient to buy that harvest and save the day for him but not all farmers are willing to sell their crops to persons who took them without asking. Chas has exposed this man’s nakedness and will continue to do so.
Imagine that, the police is being asked to restrain a man who has not committed an offense in anyway and they were willing to comply with that order. Clear case of they not knowing the extent of their powers. What a shame. Worst yet, the other idiots in the house voted in support of Claudius’s behavior. I can’t wait to vote in favor of Chas – something I never thought I would ever say.
Unlawful and illegal confinement, detention and imprisonment! Don’t you have a lawyer, Mr. Chastanet?
I’ll start to say just a one line statement. Stupid banana republic speaker
Yap Yap Yap Yap Yap Yap hear these Yellow Mongrels…..there is a new Sheriff in town GET USE IT. Like I have stated they should have him in handcuffs and CHARGE HIM FOR CRIMES AGAINST THE STATE. As for this one Guy Joseph like They Sparrow Sings you need to be under Her Majesty Jail.
Hacks..Hacks..Just give it up. Mindekins Jackasses.Barking dogs..Idiots.Joseph you are a poor excuse.
No winder KDA didn’t want to be affiliated with dem guys. I always took the D for D……. BUT
This man is brilliant, 43% we must learn from Allen and understand how backward some of us in this country are. They do not want to see us excel as a people . They keep on calling us poor people . Once they smile for us us, give us a few plywoods, a little step work we are fooled. Not this time . I was one of them .
By the way sir, where is my plywood??? I need to fixed my door. And when I fixed my door , where can I get a job to replace that same door when it get ripped?? . The nation needs work , employment, allow the country to developed its self. We need work . Stop playing games with peoples families.
All of a sudden most St. Lucians are scholars and architect of democracy. Some of them have never read a book on democracy but they will confidently tell you what constitutes a democracy. They will level insults at you in the name of democracy and free speech. They will behave badly in public under the guise of democracy. They will conflate rights and privileges yet are scholars of democratic norms. Has anyone read the constitution of St Lucia and understand the role of the speaker of the house? A little learning is a dangerous thing.
@Develop St Lucia Brilliant how ??? Brilliant who ?? I guess in your dumb world the likes of him will pass as “brilliant”. If he was brilliant he would have stayed out of politics and use his brilliant set skills elsewhere as was instructed to him by his mentor.
You must think tourism alone can fix our troubles of which HE CREATED. Good fiscal responsibility and the ability to address the basic quality of life issues that affects everyday St Lucians and not your cliques is what a brilliant PM does and so far our PM is doing just that so continue to sit on your ass waiting for hear my dear I present to you Dubai.
Highgrade ou par kar Honte man smh
Batiz u talking because its Chas yo pere
Watch out soin
Has anyone taking time see the powers of the sergeant at arms before commenting. I say no more. Guy and Allen are just two people that never check the powers of the Sergeant at arms.
@Johncrow Concern WHATEVER ! Brilliant I don’t know how you reach “brilliant” so that party finish should that fool bow out because that’s the most “brilliant’ mind you’ll have amongst you’ll selves the absolute shame of it , We have an economist we can borrow you, but we need him now to mop up Chastanet’s mess and keep the books in the black not the red the bill needs to be paid such as that $USD 5 million that’s due in July on the interest only USD$ 100 million Mr. Brilliant borrowed from our good friends The Bank of Taiwan. This not even on top of The Caribbean Development Bank USD$ 40 million that’s owed that Mr Brilliant borrowed. Where is the USD$7million of the taxes paying St Lucians money for the Covid vaccination?? It’s your money do you even care ?? That 7 mill. Could. Have made one payment to the bank of Taiwan with change left over to fix a road, invest in crime fighting by paying police overtime, buy two vehicles or invest in out education , our healthcare you get the picture. Oh the brilliancy of this man we definitely need more of him.
Boy I wish all these politicians would retire they have nothing new to contribute to St Lucia. This country is sniffling under party politics I don’t see any red or yellow digging us out of this hole they have created.
People can barely buy bread in this country and all they care about is their egos. We need fresh un-corrupted blood to take the helm…It may not happen in my lifetime but it will happen.
St Lucians must come out under the thumbs of these criminals in suits
He should sue the police and claudius, clearly the police acted wrongly and do not know what they about, only a magistrate or judge can instruct the police to do so unless the police is investigating an infringement of the law. Clearly that Sargent got that rank some other way.
Highgrade bien fete. Let them pay all because that’s a routine in politics now once a party wins. Glad you see Chas brilliant 👏🏾
Did you say Covid money too Smh So what Pjp did with the huge payment he got?
party hack woii. The longer pjp keep Claudias in there its the worse for him so ride on
So we have a dictatorship now. Stop him from leaving. Under what authority.
Just imagine, its feels like secondary school all over again, with a bunch of over active teenagers looking for guidance or some type of means to release their built up energy. I look forward to the day when we as a people can seat and make good judgement calls for the entire country not just for one to profit but for everyone to benefit.
Its time to clean up the mess because soon or later there will be no more place to even roam in the so called island you love.