Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition, Hon. Dr. Gale Rigobert has condemned the report of the Constitutional Reform Committee for denigrating the role of the politician and its contribution to Saint Lucian society.

She echoed the Deputy Prime Minister’s sentiments  that to adopt the recommended system of governance would be to legislate politicians out of existence.

"When I go through recommendations 64 through to 82, I can sum up those recommendations as somehow suggesting that there needs to be a separation of the intellect of the political directorate and the politicians who take maypwis," Dr. Rigobert said.

"I don't know that I should necessarily have a hand in crafting my own demise. I think this amounts to political suicide."

Earlier in the discussion, Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Philip J. Pierre disagreed with the recommendations on a hybrid governance structure saying it belittles the role of an elected parliamentarian.

"Fact is, what you must understand is that the people are the ones who must tell us how to run the country and not any group of men or women who believe they have the better brains or who do not want to take the hassle and pressure of running political office but who want to constitutionalize that position of being able to tell people what to do because they believe, probably because of their education or their background, their education, their class or their financial situation, that they have a right to dictate what is happening in this country," Pierre said.

The debate on the report of the Constitutional Reform Commission continues in the House of Assembly today.