Members of the Opposition, led by Kamla Persad-Bissessar, boycotted Parliament for a third time in a row on Wednesday (14th April 2021) since the news that Prime Minister Keith Rowley tested positive for COVID-19 recently. The Prime Minister remains in quarantine at this time in Tobago, having tested positive again earlier this week. Minister of National Security, Stuart Young, condemned the Opposition for their absence at Wednesday’s sitting of the House of Representatives. Members of the Opposition first boycotted Parliament last Friday (9th April 2021), prompting the Office of the Attorney General to issue a Media Release the day after, saying in part, “The Government is unsurprised that the Opposition boycotted the Parliament in the face of matters of high importance which demonstrates a gross dereliction of duty. The task of serving the citizenry is one which the Government treats with the utmost primacy. It is a duty and a privilege, not to be taken for granted, but such a duty has been abdicated on numerous occasions by members of the Opposition and is demonstrated in the lack of support for bail restrictions, interception of communications, witness anonymity, gaming and gambling and critical ‘follow the money’ laws against white collar crime.” The Opposition wrote to the Speaker following news of the Prime Minister testing positive for COVID-19, seeking guidance and assurances that measures were being implemented to protect all members. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Opposition Leader said, “Opposition Members of Parliament have abstained from today's sitting of the House of Representatives as our COVID-19 safety concerns are yet to be addressed after raising them almost a week ago. Days later, it is quite concerning that we have received no response or guidance on a matter which threatens everyone within the Parliament.” Mrs. Persad-Bissessar noted that Opposition Members take their Parliamentary obligations very seriously, however, she said, “as we have seen reported in the media, thirty-five (35) citizens have gone into quarantine as a result of being primary and secondary contacts of the Prime Minister.” She further stated, “As it stands, we are still unsure how many members of our House of Representatives have been primary or secondary contacts of the Prime Minister.” She also questioned, “Why is the Government applying one rule for citizens and another rule for themselves?” as new lockdown measures were announced on Wednesday to try and stem the spike in positive cases. See the Opposition Leader’s full statement below: Opposition Abstains from The House of Representatives Sitting as Covid-19 Safety Concerns Still Not Addressed. This is a developing story - refresh this page for updates.
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