Five Members of Parliament were noticeably absent when members of the House of Assembly and the Senate took the oath of allegiance to Barbados during the National Awards ceremony at Golden Square Freedom Park on Tuesday.
However, Attorney General Dale Marshall told the Daily Nation yesterday that there was no legal requirement for them to take the oath.
Government backbencher George Payne was the only one out of the 29 Government MPs who was absent, while Opposition Senators, Caswell Franklyn and Krystal Drakes, as well as Independent Senators Monique Taitt and Julian Hunte were not in the line-up of senators present.
When contacted, Franklyn told this newspaper that he and other senators did not receive an invitation, but quickly added that even if he did, he would not have attended, as he called it “theatrics” and a “show”.
“Nobody told me . . . and this oath, this performance by Government was just theatrics. It was totally unnecessary,” he said, pointing out that the Constitution (Amendment) Act, which was passed for Barbados’ new republic status, “made provision that says you don’t have to take the oath – that there is no requirement. These people are just out for show,” he said. (MB)
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