Ahead of the presentation of the 2025 National Budget and the debates to follow, Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir on Friday issued a stern warning to Members of Parliament against the use of words and phrases that are prohibited during parliamentary sessions.
“I have again circulated to everyone words and phrases which have not been allowed in our Parliament.
“I can safely say, I came in 1992, first elected to this House and met these words.
“I will enforce every single one of it on all sides,” Nadir said on Friday.
His warning comes amid the ongoing public debate on the ban of the use of the word “corruption” in parliamentary speeches.
Already, Attorney General Anil Nandlall has come to the defense of the Speaker, who clarify that the restriction on certain words, including “corruption,” is not an arbitrary decision by the Speaker but a longstanding practice rooted in parliamentary procedure.
On Friday, the Speaker said the warning is implied to both sides of the House- the Government and the Opposition.
As a matter of fact, he said there will be zero tolerance during the budget debates.
“Since I entered this Parliament it was only two sides.
“I will enforce them… if I have to interrupt I am not stopping the clock, if you are going to argue with me your time goes with arguing with me,” the Speaker told the House on Friday.
The 2025 National Budget is being read at the Arthur Chung Conference Center at Liliendaal by Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh.
