Minister’s selfie video in Parliament chambers raises eyebrows

Jun 18, 2017 News

A minute-long grainy selfie video rant of a sitting minister in the Parlimentary chambers has sparked a backlash for her on social media.

The video surfaced some time yesterday on Facebook showing Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, walking around the empty seats of the House and mimicking a Guyanese woman who is in Paris and who started a trend in selfie commentaries.

It was apparently made Friday during the break or after the sitting of the National Assembly.

While some found the video https://www.facebook.com/Guyanesegtingzz/videos/1512229598828961/

to be funny, it was not so for some who argued that the chambers are hallowed and should not be made a mockery of.

Minister Broomes was apparently making a parody of Guyanese media sensation, Allison Hunt, who has been posting videos of herself in Paris, France.

It was evident from the tone of the minister that she was imitating Hunt. However, her words have irked some supporters of the Opposition.

She is seen in the shaky video pointing to the seats of Jagdeo and Trotman.

“Yes boom out…this is the Parliament…look at me, you people have to come here, and to see the Parliament of Guyana. Right here, behind me here is the Opposition Leader seat. His name is Bharrat Jagdeo. Boom out and look right here is where the honourable Minister Raphael Trotman sits down.”

Broomes, a long time miner, continues: “Right here, boom out, Bharrat Jagdeo is the doctor of failure, he is irrelevant and insignificant and the honourable Minister Trotman…bim bam boom out. Lemme throw my hair at the back of me, my hair is not so long. So boom out, this is the Parliament, look at me.”

She said that the Opposition the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), which lost the 2015 general elections after two decades in power, really wants to return to spend the oil money that will come from the ExxonMobil well that will start operations in 2020.

“Y’all got to come down to GT (Georgetown) and come in de national Parliament and have a seat and look at Bharrat Jagdeo, and the PPP small c and the Opposition and they want to come back to power to spend de oil money.”

But that ain’t happening, the Member of Parliament promises.

“But boom out, de ain’t coming back. Because the Guyanese people…we know he is a failure, bim bam, so we gonna boom out right here in my seat.”

The video ends with Broomes taking her seat.

On Facebook, one user has this to say: “This is unfortunate. Distasteful. Lawless. An acceptable thing for someone in comedy who wants to parody the goings-on in Parliament but not for any Government official of any Republic.  And to anyone who takes this as a moment of fun, you shouldn’t. This lack of good judgment, equanimity, and humility will not make for good nor fair governance.” (sic)

Another has this to say: “Wow is this a leader that is leading this beautiful nation of Guyana. I taught (sic) we had leaders that respected each other and want what is best for our nation. Those leaders should be working together for the good of this country and not wasting time on making stupid video (sic)”.

Perhaps one Facebook user has placed the issue more in context:  “Simona Simona Simona….when they go low you go high….I did not expect this from you….i see no humour…” (sic)

It is unclear if any rules of the National Assembly were breached when the video was made.