Senate proceeds without Opposition Senators

Opposition senators stood in solidarity with the Opposition members in the Lower House by boycotting Thursday’s Senate proceedings.  The absence comes just over a week since the Leader of the Opposition Dr Kenny Anthony and members of his party in the House of Assembly staged a walkout in protest of what they considered an unlawful sitting of Parliament.
At the center of the controversy is the appointment of a Deputy Speaker, a post that was left vacant after Dennery North MP Marcus Nicholas resigned from the ruling United Workers Party.  At the last sitting of the House of Assembly, House Speaker Dr Rosemary Husbands-Mathurin ruled that it was not convenient at the time to appoint a deputy Speaker as no nominations were forthcoming from the House.  That ruling did not sit well with the St Lucia Labour Party who collectively deemed the proceedings illegal and refused to participate.
Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Guy Mayers says while he was disappointed with the absence of the three opposition senators, there were no disruptions in the Upper House proceedings. He said, “It is unfortunate that the opposition senators are not present to engage in legislative debate. It is disappointing.  However, the business of the Senate will proceed because we have a quorum.”
Minister for Justice and Attorney General Lorenzo Rudolph Francis called the move unacceptable and says the opposition’s absence was disrespectful to the people of St Lucia.