Fiona Govan
LAWMAKERS in Andalucia’s regional parliament had an unusual visitor during a debate on Wednesday when a rat entered the chamber and caused a disruption.
The rodent was first spotted by Marta Bosquet, the speaker of the house, who was talking into the microphone to conduct proceedings when she let out a shriek and clasped her hand over her mouth in shock.
The rat was first spotted under the chair of an MP from the VOX party, Angela Mulas who abandoned her seat and went running from the chamber while other parliamentarians leapt to their feet.
While the rat scampered around the chamber, some tried to corner the intruder while another climbed a peice of furniture to raise her feet from the floor.
The speaker urged calm and moments later there was applause as the rat was ushered from the chamber allowing the vote to resume. The vote went in favour of Susana Diaz, former Socialist president in Andalucia, being chosen for the Senate.
The disturbance was caught on camera by news agency Reuters who posted it on Twitter where it soon went viral.
Joking after the event, Elias Bendodo from the Partido Popular said that although it was an unusual sighting, ‘it is not the most dangerous species in Parliament’.
While former MP from the left wing Podemos coalition Diego Cañamero quipped: “If parliament was suspended each time a rat entered the chamber, nothing would ever get done.”
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