Premier Reuben T Meade
“OMG, (oh my God), surely he must have forgotten,” spoken by a senior business person when they heard the news of the Hon. Premier denying he led a vote of no confidence against the John A Osborne (dec’d) and in PLM government in October, 2005.
He was responding to a presentation being made by leader of the Opposition Hon. Donaldson Romeo, which he described in a statement issued on later the same day, under the caption ‘Mr Meade’s motion of No Confidence in 2005 — let the facts speak’. “On Tuesday 24th September, 2013 just past our Hon Premier asked me to make a public apology for stating that he led a motion of No Confidence in 2005 against the John Alfred Osborne led PLM Government, Hon. Romeo said in the statement.
The opposition leader said he did not react then to the Premier’s ridiculous request. “While I could have tried to reply, long experience of how the voices of the Opposition are strangely silenced in the Legislative Assembly, told me it would be wiser to simply allow them to further publicise the whole matter on the record of the Hon House and live on Radio.”
Several transcripts of the 2005 Motion surfaced quickly. The Montserrat Reporter wrote then in the October 14, 2005 issue an Editorial “Ill-timed No Confidence Motion Destroys Confidence in All of Us.”
It addressed the state of the politics at the time as follows: “The public may not know that this motion was filed well before the flip-flop Minister of Agriculture resigned from government and the Chief Minister’s NPLM party. The claim that they want to inform the public of the state of Montserrat as the reason why it is still being pursued, is degrading; especially so, after the minister presented a sure chance to wrest Montserrat from the severe throes of antiquity and continued economic degradation, …”
Mrs. Roselyn Cassell-Sealy
With Speaker Joseph Meade (dec’d) presiding in the Legislative Council on October 13, 2005, Meade, began: “Mr. Speaker, I wish to move a Resolution of a Motion of No Confidence to the Government led by the Honourable Chief Minister, John Alfred Osborne…”
Mr. Romeo was trying to be cautious as he said, when in making his presentation he began: “Madam Speaker, before I even attempt to do so, the reason I asked for clarity is because I intended to quote extensively from a document so I don’t know whether I can or not. I intended to quote extensively from a vote of no confidence placed by the MCAP government in 2005.”
He got no further when he was interrupted: “Madam Speaker, on a point of order,” he began, as the Speaker asked him, “Your point of order, Mr. Premier?”
The Premier continued, “I wish for the hon. Member to check the records. I have never placed a motion of no confidence in any government. And I speak on behalf of the entire MCAP administration. Whatever vote of no confidence came in 2005 was placed by someone who had left the previous government. I seconded the motion but I did not vote aye or nay; I abstained in that vote and it’s on public record. And I wish the hon. Member to do his appropriate research and make a public apology and retract that statement.”
Romeo notes in his statement that at the adjournment the Hon Premier came over to the table, “where I was sitting and I asked him in the presence of others to see for himself the documentation to support my claim. He refused to look at it.”
According to the records, the motion was seconded by MP Roselyn Cassell-Sealy who had not long been elected leader of the newly formed Movement for Change and Prosperity (MCAP).
Both Cassell-Sealy and Meade sat in opposition after they were the two elected in 2001 from the National Progessive Party (NPP)
leader of the Opposition Hon. Donaldson Romeo
Romeo told The Montserrat Reporter, “I expect that during the next sitting of the Assembly our Hon Premier will do the honourable thing and make sure to set the record straight by admitting to the truth of his having Led a vote of No Confidence on the John Osborne led PLM Government in 2005.
Meanwhile, nearing the end of his Government and People program on which he was the guest on Wednesday night, the premier after being confronted by a recording that he acknowledged his voice, moving the motion, it was suggested to him that he was the one who should apologise to Romeo. He eventually said, belatedly, he would do the appropriate thing when he checks the facts.
He responded with as much effort to deny the request for an apology: “If I’m reminded of the transcript and which is something I asked him to find for me…as I indicated in the same session, you are asking me to recall something that happened in 2005 or whatever period, and in fact even the person who had moved the motion previously did not even remember that,” he said, still continuing, “The simple point is having not remembered something then we will do what is appropriate in terms of correcting…If in fact when I check the records…I will check for myself.”
It was more than 24 hours later, but later in the said update radio program, which he says has nothing to do with elections campaign, repeating his doubt that he did move the motion, in face of all the evidence he had by that time, Romeo having also offered to show him the minutes transcript. “Let me say to that caller,” he said, “I will check to see whether or not I moved that motion, because I could not recall moving the motion, I was thinking of the motion which was raised by Mr. Brown as the one. I was not in any way trying to say I did not do something if in fact the record shows that. And if in fact the records do show because I will check for myself by asking for the minutes that year, then I will apologize to Mr. Romeo. It’s no big thing an apology is simply an apology, if you’re wrong you have the right to apologize I have no problem with that.”
Romeo, meantime in his statement on Tuesday evening, is willing to wait for the next sitting, as he is calling on the Premier for his public apology. “I expect that during the next sitting of the Assembly our Hon Premier will do the honourable thing and make sure to set the record straight by admitting to the truth of his having Led a vote of No Confidence on the John Osborne led PLM Government in 2005,” he wrote.
