ACCUSING Independent Senators of “stepping out of their crease and into the political gayelle,” Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar issued a warning for them to brace for political attack.

She said the days when conventions protected them from political attacks are over, as they have now declared their hand.

“The Opposition will fight back,” she said referring to last Thursday’s Electoral College sitting, when the Independent Bench voted with the Government against the removal of President Paula-Mae Weekes.

She spoke at the United National Congress (UNC) Virtual report on Monday night

“They have capitulated and taken sides with the Government. Some of their masks have slipped though. One of them was as silent as a lamb in the Parliamentary Chamber last Thursday, and he has now come out in the media to attack the Opposition and an Opposition Senator. He’s entered the political gayelle.”

Independent Senators Anthony Vieira and Paul Richards have been quoted as saying the UNC created a “fishmarket”-like atmosphere at last Thursday’s proceeding.

Vieira said he was offended by the UNC’s accusation that they were toeing the government line.

Persad-Bissessar said the notion of Independent Senators over the last 50 years "has bred the nasty idea that a portion of the population is somehow superior, and they look down on the others, calling them tribal, base, disrespectful and disgraceful. It’s an attractive concept for some, who will always mimic their views in order to be seen as part of the elite class. Panday (former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday) called them the parasitic oligarchy.

She called them "in essence...our own aristocracy, where these little barons and baronesses are handpicked, and they now want to lord it over the rest of us – relative unknowns are elevated and given the right to pontificate on Divali Nagar and to tell us what is respectable and who is disgraceful, because they are somehow above the ordinary citizens."

But, she charged, "They never say anything when the Prime Minister goes on political platforms and cusses those who oppose him.

“When all these independent Senators could jump out of themselves to criticise the Opposition for demanding the right to represent the views of the population, but they will never comment on serious allegations of political interference by the Prime Minister with respect to this appointment of a commissioner of police, ask yourself – who are they really representing?

She claimed, "Our democracy is being undermined."

IN the past, she said, "There has been a convention in our country that we do not openly attack the Independent Senators. But those days are over."

If if they stepped "into the political gayelle" on behalf of the People’s National Movement , she warned, the Opposition would retaliate.

“You will not be allowed to make all the disparaging comments against the Opposition, (and) not one, not one about the Government. Check yourself. We are on your case. We shall expose you for who you are.”

She said last Thursday all of the