THINGS got heated in the afternoon hours of Monday’s Sitting of the National Assembly over a disagreement about the speakers’ list between Chief Whips of the Government, Gail Teixiera, and Opposition, Christopher Jones.

Monday’s resumption of the National Assembly saw a healthy blend of bipartisan agreements with a few squabbles thrown in between.

During the debate on the amendment to the Evidence Act, just as Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn was about to close the discourse on the Bill, which is tabled in his name, opposition parliamentarian, Khemraj Ramjattan interjected to flag that his name was included on the speakers’ list.

Unsure of this, House Speaker Manzoor Nadir invited MP Ramjattan to make his interruption once he was doing so under an approved Point of Order which are part of the Standing Orders of the National Assembly.

Ramjattan, however, only said: “I am on the list”. As Minister Benn arose to continue his remarks, acknowledging Ramjattan’s plight, Opposition Chief Whip Jones interjected.

Offering his apologies to the Speaker, Jones said he and his counterpart, Teixeira, met earlier Monday on the subject. He indicated that MP Ramjattan’s name was included on an original Speaker’s list drafted in August. Jones said Ramjattan wanted to speak in support of the Bill tabled by Benn.

Government Chief Whip, Teixeira clarified that MP Ramjattan’s name was not included in the debate on the proposed amendments to the Evidence Act, but instead on the Bills to amend the Narcotics and Firearms Acts. She later opted to provide evidence of this.

Jones responded he is in possession of the original list, which included Ramjattan, and opted to have it shared with MP Teixeira.

“We changed the August 9^th one, Mr Jones, and I did the handwritten one,” Teixeira said tersely, as Jones countered.

Teixeira said she is not objecting to MP Ramjattan speaking. She expressed concern, however, at what she called “aspersions” cast by the Opposition Chief Whip.

In his intervention, House Speaker Nadir said he will continue with the list that he had received which does not include Ramjattan, and urged the Chief Whips to jointly initial any Speakers’ list presented to him in future.