IN A HISTORY making move, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has filed a motion in Parliament seeking to have the House investigate and potentially remove President Paula-Mae Weekes from office over the police commissioner appointment imbroglio.

In announcing this on Friday during a press briefing at the Office of the Opposition Leader in Port of Spain, Persad-Bissessar accused the President of being politically influenced and as such, is unfit to continue serving as President.

The motion is the latest in a series of events surrounding the issue of the appointment of a police commissioner which has seen the complete collapse of the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the High Court ruling on Thursday that the acting appointments of both former police commissioner Gary Griffith and Deputy Commissioner of Police McDonald Jacob were unlawful.

Earlier this month, Griffith's attorney Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, SC, called on Weekes to say why she failed to submit the list of nominees for the substantive appointment of a commissioner and deputy commissioner to Parliament, when she received it on August 12. Veteran attorney Martin Daly has also called on Weekes to break her silence.

In September, Persad-Bissessar in a media release claimed she received information that Weekes was visited by the Prime Minister and alleged the intention of this meeting was to influence the President in the selection process of appointing a police commissioner.

Under the constitution, the selection of a police commissioner can only be done by the PSC.

Persad-Bissessar said the motion was filed under Section 36 of the Constitution which allowed for the soundness of the President's behaviour to be challenged in the Parliament after allegations of impropriety.

Under the provisions of the Constitution, a President can be removed from office on four grounds, namely that:

* The President has behaved in such a way as to bring his/her office into hatred, ridicule or contempt;

* The President wilfully violated the Constitution;

* The President endangered the safety and security of the State and;

* The President is deemed to be infirmed or no longer mentally competent to hold office.

Persad-Bissessar said her motion was filed on the first three grounds set out by the Constitution for the removal of a President.

ANSWERS NEEDED

Noting that while the regulations do not allow ill-speaking of the President in Parliament, the Siparia MP said the motion was the only redress the public has to hold the President to account. She said the motion was signed by herself and the other 18 Opposition MPs.

"We as a nation were fortunate that we never had reason to reflect on to whom the President is accountable to, because the issue never arose (before) but sadly, it has now arisen in these circumstances.

"The Constitution provides the answer, a President is elected by members of the combined Houses of Parliament and likewise the pr