Opposition walks out of Trinidad and Tobago Parliament over Speaker’s alleged bias

Trinidad and Tobago: The opposition walked out of the House of Representatives on Friday evening, October 10, 2025, accusing the Speaker of persistent bias and unfair rulings following months of alleged partiality.

According to statements from the Opposition, the Speaker has consistently shown bias toward the Government and has issued rulings unfavorable to their party. The opposition party also issued a statement after they walked out and accused the Speaker of “failing to act impartially and uphold the Constitution and Standing Orders of Parliament.”

They also said “They have had enough months of enduring biased and prejudicial behavior from the Presiding Officer” and the “members of the party had no choice but to leave the sitting.”

“The speaker has failed in his duty to act impartially and to uphold the Constitution and the Standing Orders of Parliament” further the statement claimed. Along with this they also said “The speaker has allegedly rejected Urgent and Prime Minister’s Questions filed by Opposition MPs, showcasing uneven application of the rules.”

Additionally, the opposition further stated that the Speaker has not applied any rules fairly and ignored the bad behavior and rude comments from Government members, while continuously stopping opposition MPs from speaking or sharing their views.

The opposition also warned that “any attempt to curtail their right to question the Government or to speak on behalf of their constituents will not be tolerated anymore.”

“The members' walkout shows their commitment to protecting democracy and making sure the Government is answerable to the people. With 13 MPs representing about 400,000 citizens, they stress that Parliament belongs to the people and not to any political party or the Speaker” they claimed.

This incident caught the attention of the community as it highlights the growing tensions between the Opposition and the Government. They are also supporting the opposition party while saying that “The opposition is determined to assert its rights and ensure the democratic process is respected and for this we are with them.”

The public also talked about "democracy" as they said the “government should be democratic and the speaker should not be biased towards one party and fair for the other.”