Suruj: National consultation needed

NATIONAL consultations are necessary before any amendments to the Marriage Act can be considered. That’s the view of Tabaquite MP Dr Surujrattan Rambachan, who said the views of all sectors of society should be considered.

“It is not the domain of any particular group or any particular individual, and in a society that is diverse as ours, we need to respect all views and there must be a through airing of all views before a consensus position is arrived at,” he said. “So we have to initiate deeper conversations on this matter before we come to any conclusions, and the population as a whole must be given an opportunity to express their views on this matter.” He was commenting on a statement by several religious leaders that the Marriage Act should be amended to say marriage is between a biological male and a biological female.

Pointe-a-Pierre MP David Lee said while the matter had not been discussed by the Opposition party, the onus was on government to begin the process of consultation on the issue.