Opposition declines to present in National Assembly while demanding resignations over MV Barima

The parliamentary sitting on Monday was repeatedly disrupted as opposition members protesting the government’s handling of the MV Barima disaster declined several opportunities to participate in scheduled proceedings while demanding the resignations of Public Works Minister Juan Edghill and former Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar. During the sitting, Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed was recognised by Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir under the agenda item for Personal Explanations and was allotted five minutes to address the House. However, Mohamed did not make a presentation despite being invited to do so by the Speaker, as he and other opposition Members of Parliament remained on the floor of the chamber chanting and protesting. Later, under the agenda item Requests for Leave to Move the Adjournment of the Assembly on Definite Matters of Urgent Public Importance, APNU Member of Parliament Terrence Campbell was given two minutes by the Speaker to present his request. Campbell also did not proceed, with opposition members continuing their protest inside the chamber. Earlier in the sitting, opposition parliamentarians whose questions had previously been submitted and appeared on the Order Paper similarly declined to proceed when those items were called. Throughout the sitting, opposition MPs repeatedly called for the resignation of Edghill and Indar, while government business continued despite the disruptions. The parliamentary protest followed demonstrations outside the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, where protesters also demanded that the two government officials step down over the sinking of the MV Barima.