Wade Mark Passes Special Operations Bill With Casting Vote, Sparking Parliamentary Debate

St. Lucia House Speaker Claudius Francis said Senate President Wade Mark was legally entitled to cast the deciding vote that passed the Special Operations Bill, even though it broke Westminster convention. He also said President Christine Kangaloo does not have a personal veto over the bill unless there is a constitutional issue with how it was passed.

Former House speaker Bridgid Annisette-George has rejected claims that her 2017 casting votes set a precedent for Senate President Wade Mark’s tie-breaking vote on the Special Operations Bill. She said her votes never decided substantive legislation, unlike Mark’s 16-15 decision at the bill’s final reading, intensifying debate over the Denison Principle and parliamentary convention in Trinidad and Tobago.

Former House Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George has rejected claims that her 2017 casting votes set a precedent for Senate President Wade Mark’s tie-breaking vote on the Special Operations Bill. She says her votes only affected procedure, not final passage of legislation, and argues the Denison Principle was breached last Thursday when Mark used his vote to pass the bill 16–15.

Former House Speaker Nizam Mohammed said Bridgid Annisette-George’s 2017 casting votes cannot be used to justify Wade Mark’s tie-breaking vote on the Special Operations Bill, because her votes only affected procedure and did not pass or amend laws. He said parliamentary convention still favours preserving the status quo, especially when a casting vote produces a final legislative change without majority support.

Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles condemned the Senate’s passage of the Special Operations Bill, 2026, calling it “a travesty of parliamentary democracy” after Senate President Wade Mark used his casting vote to break a 15-15 deadlock. She said the move was especially troubling on republic anniversary day, given the bill’s sweeping policing and security powers.