STATEMENT BY SENATOR MALAKA PARKER
ON THE EXCLUSION OF THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION FROM THE HOUSE DURING THE THRONE SPEECH

The events surrounding the exclusion of the Honourable Jamale Pringle, Leader of the Opposition and duly elected Member of Parliament for All Saints East and St. Luke, from the House during the Throne Speech represent a regrettable and troubling moment in our parliamentary democracy.

While constitutional procedure must always be respected, parliamentary leadership equally carries a duty to uphold the spirit of democratic representation, fairness, and institutional dignity. At the heart of Westminster democracy is not merely rigid adherence to form, but the facilitation of representation and the protection of the people’s voice within the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda.

The Leader of the Opposition had already taken an oath before His Excellency the Governor General at Government House. If there remained a procedural requirement for the oath to be administered within the Chamber pursuant to section 48 of the Constitution, then the mature and democratic course of action would have been to facilitate that process prior to the commencement of the Throne Speech.

Instead, what the nation witnessed was a failure of parliamentary duty and statesmanship.

Parliament is not a private club. It is the people’s institution. The exclusion of the elected Leader of the Opposition from one of the most significant ceremonial and constitutional sittings of the State sends an unfortunate message about the present state of political tolerance and democratic maturity in Antigua and Barbuda.

This moment should have been approached with wisdom, restraint, and respect for the electorate. Procedure should never be weaponized in a manner that appears calculated to embarrass, diminish, or politically isolate those elected by the people to serve.

As legislators, we are custodians of institutions greater than ourselves and greater than party. The Parliament must remain a place where democracy is strengthened, not reduced to political spectacle.

I therefore call for a recommitment by all sides to the principles of fairness, parliamentary integrity, and democratic respect which must guide the conduct of the People’s House.

Senator Malaka Parker
Opposition Senator
United Progressive Party