Several government legislators in St Vincent and the Grenadines have tested positive for COVID-19, resulting in the suspension of debate on the EC$1.3 billion (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) budget.
The legislators included Finance Minister, Camillo Gonsalves, Urban Development Minister, Julian Francis, the Minister of Agriculture, Saboto Caesar and Education Minister Curtis King.
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves further announced that Deputy Prime Minister, Montgomery Daniel and Government Senator Keisal Peters were unavailable because of “a digestion problem”.
The Finance Minister returned a positive COVID-19 result hours after delivering a five-hour budget address, while not wearing a mask, in the air-conditioned chamber, where there are no plexiglass shields for vaccinated MPs, who can remove their masks while speaking.
All other persons in the chambers are expected to wear an N95/KN95 mask while in the Assembly Chamber.
The budget address focused largely on the COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s response to it in 2022.
Prime Minister Gonsalves told Parliament he had tested negative even as some members of his security detail had received positive results.
The Prime Minister appeared to entertain the probability that he, too, could receive a positive result before the debate is completed, even as he said that he intends to speak for the ill ministers during the four hours allotted to him.
Gonsalves said he can understand Opposition Leader, Dr. Godwin Friday, who is due to respond to the fiscal package, not wanting to do so either in the absence of the Minister of Finance, the Deputy Prime Minister and himself.
“But I think it is fair and reasonable in all the circumstances to not continue today, because the rules make it plain that after the minister of finance speaks, the leader of the opposition must speak the next day.“And though there was nothing to have prevented him from speaking because we’re not taking any issue of quorum, but I understand why he chose not to speak,” said the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Gonsalves was citing the same rules, which he suggested, on January 10, be suspended so as to allow absent MPs to vote on the budget.
The Opposition Leader rejected the proposal as “premature” and had further indicated that the rules had specifically said that only MPs who were “present” could vote in the national assembly.
Prime Minister Gonsalves said he had not planned to be at the National Assembly January 11, and was awaiting a nurse to test him at his official residence, “because she had to be there to test some officers on the security team who came down with COVID”.
He further noted that in light of protocols limiting the number of people allowed in the Chamber, that no issue of quorum was being raised and that was why the sitting could have commenced.
“But it would be invidious and contrary to the rules — well if even not the rules in their literal sense, in the spirit of the rules and I really think that the country should hear the leader of the opposition’s response and I think that opportunity should be made available at the soonest possible time.”
Gonsalves said when he arrived at Parliament, the Opposition Leader of St Vincent and three other opposition lawmakers were outside.
“But they chose to leave. It would have been good if they did not leave. So that we could have had, at least, a later start. And it would not have been a bad thing to start at 10, given them all what has transpired.
“We are in a fluid situation with COVID. And I say, madam speaker, that what happened at this workplace called the Parliament is happening across workplaces, all over St. Vincent and Grenadines and everyone has to have an understanding and forbearance in this matter.”
Gonsalves said the suspension of the sitting until January 12 is not expected to affect the January 14 targeted completion of the debate.
He said that assuming that the two positive antigen tests are not false positives, it means that Francis and the Finance Minister will not be able to speak during the debate.
The Prime Minister of St Vincent said with Ministers Caesar and King also not speaking this week, in his three-hour contribution, a veritable wrap up, he would have to speak for four ministers.
/CMC
