PDM Government Faces No Confidence Motion

The four-year-old government of Premier Donaldson Romeo is said to be facing an uphill task to complete its first five-year term in office.

….And this, after an independent legislator filed a motion of no confidence in his administration.

The motion by Dr. Ingrid Buffonge, a former member of the ruling People’s Democratic Movement (PDM), is scheduled to be heard on October 23. 

Dr. Buffonge sits as an independent member of the Legislative Assembly.

In the September 11th, 2014 general election, the PDM won seven of the nine seats in the assembly, but since then has lost Dr. Buffonge and more recently former Parliamentary Secretary Gregory Willock.

Last week, Willock resigned from the post of Parliamentary Secretary and as a member of the ruling PDM administration citing a number of issues.

Last year, Mr. Romeo dismissed his then agriculture minister Claude Hogan.

Earlier this week, Mr. Hogan called on Premier Romeo to be bold and put loyalty to country before any personal loyalty although he stopped short of taking a stance on the recent political developments.

Hogan says while he agrees that further change has to come, it must come from the people themselves.

Dr. Buffonge, who received the second-highest number of votes in the September 2014 elections on the PDM ticket, resigned from the party a year later, and two weeks ago, called for the resignation of Health minister Delmaude Ryan.

Willock had also called for Ryan’s resignation, saying he supported Dr. Buffonge

Meantime, in related news, there is a feeling in local circles that government backbencher Claude Hogan has a decisive hand to play when the no-confidence vote is tabled in Parliament next week.

Speaking on the latest “Live from London” programme, Mr Hogan in an interview with host Pastor Roger Wade, again played down the critical hand he has to deal in the latest development.

Government backbencher Claude Hogan speaking in that “Live from London” interview with host Pastor Roger Wade