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Why the Opposition benches were empty as PM addressed COVID matters

Published:Tuesday | March 31, 2020 | 12:00 AM
Prime Minister Andrew Holness, in front of empty Opposition benches, turns to Government members as he speaks in Parliament on Tuesday - Kenyon Hemans photo

The Opposition benches were empty in Parliament on Tuesday as the Government announced the people who will be exempted from the islandwide nightly curfew which begins on April 1.

The curfew will run until April 8 from 8 p.m to 6 a.m daily.

The Opposition has explained that yesterday, it received an advisory from parliament that there would be no sitting today.

But it also said around 3 o'clock today, the Parliament sent an email advising that the sitting was back on.

Before that though, Leader of Government Business Karl Samuda ​had called the Leader of Opposition Business Morais Guy to advise of the development.

Guy said he received the call at 12:45 p.m but by that time all Opposition MPs had made alternative arrangements.

"It was unreasonable to expect them, many of whom are in rural constituencies, to come to Parliament with less than one hour's notice," he said.

According to Guy, the Opposition is committed to the people of Jamaica and its Members of Parliament, party membership and affiliates remain engaged in communities at various professional levels, assisting the most vulnerable during this time of unprecedented crisis.

Guy said he had proposed to Samuda to convene a meeting of the Parliament as early as Wednesday morning.

At the opening of the sitting Tuesday, Samuda questioned why "not a single member" of the Opposition was in attendance, saying he made no apology for his inference.

"I don't know of any event that would rise to the level that would necessitate them not being able to be present in the House today or to even have a representative from the Opposition to participate in this presentation by the Prime Minister,"  said Samuda.

Twenty-one of the 34 government MPs were in attendance.

READ:  Full list | COVID curfew exemptions

And Holness said, in reality, Members of Parliament are always on call.

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