By Abena RockcliffeThe People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is convinced that it is the target of a “devious” plot which does not harmonize with the cherished democracy that is supposed to characterize the Parliament. The plot, according to opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira, is one that aims to muzzle the opposition.Further, Teixeira is of the opinion that the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland is a part of this plot.Teixeira held a press conference yesterday at Freedom House. At that forum, she told the media of the perceived predicament facing the opposition and chronicled the series of events that led her to the conclusion that her party is being muzzled.Teixeira said that she wrote a letter to the Speaker last week, under the requisite Standing Orders, asking him to convene an extraordinary sitting of the National Assembly at soonest in the public interest. She said that she noted that this was to debate the matters that are pending on the National Assembly’s agenda including opposition matters. The Opposition Whip said that she indicated that her side is willing to meet on any date in November, providing that it does not fall on a Saturday or Sunday.She said that the Standing Order cited allows the Speaker and/or the government to convene a sitting in the public interest, or on a matter that is of public interest.Opposition Chief Whip, Gail TeixeiraTeixeira’s appeal comes at a time when government, with the approval of the Speaker, moved to postpone a sitting from November 12 (yesterday) to an indefinite date.? Government reasoned that Summit of South American-Arab Countries (ASPA) and other matters stand in the way of the availability of its Members. Government also said that it requested an earlier date, but later withdrew the request.Teixeira said that as Chief Whip, she knew nothing about that request until the government statement was put out. She said that the PPP’s information is that there may be no sitting in November.Teixeira indicated that yesterday morning she received a two-and-a-half page letter from the Speaker and he admitted that there are two limbs on which such a request may be considered. Those are; if it was represented by the government to the Speaker that public interest requires an early sitting or if the Speaker in his opinion sees it that public interest requires that the House should meet earlier than the date to which it stands adjourned.Dr. Scotland ruled that the opposition lacks the locus standi to make a request of the kind contained in Teixeira’s letter. He indicated that even if the request was in order, given the fact that the matter which is the subject of the private members’ motion (salary increases) has been the subject of discussion in the public domain, he is of the view that the public will not suffer prejudice by the postponement of the sitting, neither would the public interest not be adequately addressed though the arrangement already in place.In the circumstances, therefore,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, the Speaker said that the request by the opposition is not in order and would not be entertained.The issue that the PPP is pressing to address is salary increases for government officials.The order was made that the ministers, members of the national assembly and special offices receive increases in salary.? When the order is made and gazette it becomes law, but it is required that it goes through a parliamentary process and if this gives a negative resolution, the order is to be reversed.Citing technical parliamentary procedures in accordance with the Standing order and the interpretation of the general clauses in law, and the Speaker’s action, Teixeira said, “Therefore this deliberate postponement of the House sitting from November 12 to a date to be fixed and the denial of an appeal to the Speaker to do what is honourable and best, and allow for the sitting? to be held in the month of November, basically says they are killing the motion of the opposition to call for a reversion or annulment of the salary increases.”The politician added, “This is deliberate, conscious, planned orchestrated engineered, you pick the adjective to ensure that the opposition, in this parliament is muzzled.”“I have been around in parliament long enough and I have advised the Clerk to please go into the records; because before I formally wrote on Monday, I reminded the parliament office that in 2012 or 2013,Cheap Authentic Jerseys, the government of the day had named the date of when we were convening. But after recess something happened, and therefore we asked for the date to be postponed to another. The Speaker then agreed, and a ton of bricks came down from the then opposition to demand, under the same standing order that we are quoting, that you had to go back to parliament and call for a postponement.”Teixeira said that the government had to th