Opposition Senators walked out of the Senate Tuesday during debate on the Bacteriological Biotoxin Weapons Bill.
Senator Shamfa Cudjoe was talking about airports, mechanisms of conveyance and Tobago when Oudit stopped her.
He said Cudjoe explained that Tobago was a relevant issue to the debate and she was dealing with issues in the Bill. However Oudit stood by her ruling.
"Today is a very dark day for the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago,"Al Rawi said.
It happened after Senate Vice President Lyndira Oudit stopped one of them from speaking about a subject that may have been out of context for the debate.
Senator Shamfa Cudjoe was talking about airports, mechanisms of conveyance and Tobago when Oudit stopped her.
Senator Faris Al Rawi said, "The Vice President then, very surprisingly, stopped and shut her down on her right to speak, asked her to take her seat under Standing Order 48. That is a very draconian measure available under the Standing Orders."
He said Cudjoe explained that Tobago was a relevant issue to the debate and she was dealing with issues in the Bill. However Oudit stood by her ruling.
"Today is a very dark day for the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago,"Al Rawi said.
"That is the place that you are meant to have the privilege, to speak your point of view, not only to be relevant to the law you are creating but to articulate the concerns of citizens," he added.
We must continue our protest...because it is a very dark day to stop the right to speak in parliament."
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