Mark: PNM Parliament behaviour an assault on democracy

Opposition Senator Wade Mark took issue with two incidents in the Parliament earlier this week and accused the government of assaulting democracy through their conduct.

In the first incident Mark stood by his protests on the adjournment of Wednesday's Senate sitting to Monday.

The sitting was expected to deal with the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and the Miscellaneous Provisions (Special Reserve Police and Police Complaints Authority) Bill, 2020, but Leader of Government Business Clarence Rambharat noted that the Attorney General who was expected to pilot the bills was in the Lower House for a debate which took place at the same time.

At a media conference at the Opposition Leader's Office, Charles Street, Port of Spain, on Thursday, Mark said the adjournment of the Senate was cause for concern and accused the government of trying to use every opportunity available to silence the Oppositon.

While he acknowledged that Rambharat sent him a message on Tuesday night informing him of the possible changes, he disregarded it as he felt proper procedure was not followed.

"I am taking a rest and at around 11 pm when I felt a message coming through but I didn't take it on.

"Later on in the evening I looked at it and I saw it coming from the Leader of Government Business indicating to me that he advised the clerk that they would adjourn at 10 am without doing anything on the agenda.

"I thought the Leader of Government Business can't be serious because when an order is given to us to come to the Senate all of us have to come and it is only us can determine if there will be an adjournment not one individual, so we just ignored this message completely and we proceeded to do the people's business the following day."

Mark also accused the government of being incapable in their duties and described the adjounrment as a lapse in co-ordination between the two houses.

On the issue of the Opposition's walk-out of the Lower House on Wednesday, Mark said political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar was within her right to do so.