‘Perak coup’ plays out
New York legislators seem to be taking a leaf from Perak politicians, and may even consider convening sittings under a tree.
STATE SIDE WITH LIM AI LEE, THE STAR
MOST New Yorkers may not even know of the Malaysian state, but their confusion over the power struggle in Albany since early this week is nothing new for the people of Perak, who had experienced it first-hand in recent months.
Events have been happening at a breathtaking pace since the Republicans seized control of the New York Senate on Monday afternoon, ousting the Democratic Party that had controlled the chamber for barely five months.
Two Democrat senators crossed the aisle and joined the 30 Republicans in voting for a change in senate leadership. Their defection resulted in a reversal of fortunes for the Democrats and swung the balance in favour of the Republicans, who now have a 32-30 majority.
The Democrats walked out, lights were switched off and TV feed cut off. An hour later, the Republican Party – also known as Grand Old Party (GOP) here – anointed Senator Dean Skelos as the new Majority Leader and installed a bi-partisan majority.
Deposed senate leader Malcolm Smith from the Democratic Party still asserts he is the rightful leader, claiming the vote was performed illegally as it took place after they had been gaveled out of session. He is seeking legal recourse.
The New York State Legislature consists of the State Assembly (lower House controlled by Democrats with a strong majority) and the Senate (Upper House won by Democrats last November with a slim majority).
The Legislature is empowered to make law, subject to the governor’s power to veto a Bill. However, the veto may be overridden by the Legislature if there is a two-thirds majority in favour of overriding in each House.
The Democrats had, in January, gained control of the Senate for the first time since 1965 after winning 32 of the 62 seats in the November elections. But with such a slim majority, it was fragile control right from the start.
Governor David Paterson, probably one of New York’s most clueless persons, was stunned by the parliamentary coup.
“It’s despicable what happened. When do we get around to governing?” the Democrat leader, seen slamming his open palm on the podium during late night TV news, demanded to know.
On Tuesday, the Senate chambers remained in darkness and all proceedings halted. The Republicans arrived to find the doors bolted, the keys in the hands of the Democrats.
The GOP threatened to take the sitting to a public park if the Democrats fail to hand over the keys.
Amid talk of more defections, Governor Paterson cancelled all out-of-state trips. Since the office of lieutenant-governor is vacant, whoever holds the title of Senate president serves as acting chief executive if the governor leaves the state or is otherwise unable to serve.
On Wednesday, the State Senate was in stalemate as the squabbling continued. By now, the Republicans claimed to have obtained the keys to the doors, but the Democrats threatened legal action if any lawmakers entered the chambers.
Smith said his office was planning to file an action for a temporary injunction to “enjoin the Republicans from illegitimately usurping authority from the people of New York”.
On Thursday, the State Senate held its first session under the new GOP leadership, after the court judge rejected an injunction sought by the Democrats, saying he did not have the power to approve it. But it is not all over. The case has been referred to the Albany supreme court.
There was chaos at the Senate chambers when the Republicans and two dissident Democrats turned up for proceedings and were accosted by dozens of protesters. All remaining 30 Democrats stayed away, calling it “a sham session”.
A Malaysian businessman in Manhattan described the New York Senate crisis as an American version of the Perak leadership tussle, except in the case of Perak, it involved the state legislative assembly.
The businessman, a keen observer of both US and Malaysian politics, noted that the situation arose because of the extremely slim majority in the Senate, which made the Democrat leadership weak.
“It’s all about numbers, just like in Perak,” he said. “The Pakatan Rakyat government fell when they no longer held a majority after three assemblyman quit the coalition parties.
“My friends in Kuala Lumpur used to joke that such a political scenario could only happen in Malaysia. But it looks like the same case is now playing out in New York.” He expects the Senate leadership crisis to drag on for months in the courts.
“Well, it’s summertime. Americans love the outdoors and I had thought the Republicans would hold their meetings under a shady tree or two if they were not able to enter the chambers,” he jested.
Meanwhile, the power struggle in Albany could affect important issues facing the city, including the law authorising mayoral control over city schools, which expires at the end of the month.
A Senate takeover by the Republicans is also expected to jeopardise the fate of nearly every item on Governor Paterson’s agenda – from same-sex marriage to ethics reform.
But the Republicans themselves are treading on thin ground. Both Pedro Espada, Jr and the other renegade senator Hiram Monserrate are currently facing ethics and legal investigations.
The Senate leadership crisis has sent shockwaves throughout the state and the New York media, never one to miss a golden opportunity, have been effusive in their coverage.
The New York Post splashed “Mutiny in the Madhouse” on its front page. The next day, it ran a front page picture of a sad looking clown, with the heading “Let’s Get Serious” and a caption that read: “The clowns are in charge, but no one is laughing.”
The tabloid then went one step further and sent a real clown to a press conference called by the GOP, causing a stir.
Both Republican and Democrat members have agreed that it would take weeks and possibly months of legal scuffling to settle the question of who’s in charge.
If the Perak case is anything to go by, New Yorkers can definitely expect more twists and turns in the coming weeks.
