It was a health issue: Senate President

The President of the Senate has defended his action to block Opposition Senate Leader Wade Mark from entering the Red House, saying it was a health issue. Danny Montano said Wednesday he was guided by advice from top medical officials.

Montano said he had been advised by Chief Medical Officer Anton Cumberbatch that the incubation period for swine flu was one to ten days and on that basis he advised Mark not to attend Parliament on Tuesday.

“It was a health issue. It was only a health issue,” Montano said.

Cumberbatch told reporters he contacted Mark and informed him of the circumstances. “He knew what our policy and position were,” Cumberbatch said.

The incident caused an uproar with opposition leader Basdeo Panday accusing Montano of violating Mark's rights to represent the people.

A statement from Panday's office noted that health authorities had stated clearly that the incubation period was up to seven days and that based on that Mark posed no health threat to anyone.

It said blocking Mark from Parliament represented "a most sinister assault on the democratic process and a deviance from good, responsible governance. The behaviour of the President of the Senate confirms the inherent bias which he is so often accused of injecting into his conduct of Parliamentary matters."

Read the story: Police Block Mark