Opposition Leader Complains that Arbitrary Scheduling and Late Distribution of Bills Hamper Participation in Parliamentary Debates

Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle is apologizing to the public for his absence from Parliament on Tuesday, July 14, and laments the arbitrary manner in which sittings are scheduled.

MP Pringle’s complaint centered on the fact that sittings are called at the pleasure of the Government side – without consultation –and this often leads to scheduling conflicts in the personal and professional  lives of Opposition Members. In this particular case he will be off island, keeping medical appointments for his minor daughter.

The Opposition leader highlighted the problem during the town hall meeting hosted by the United Progressive Party on Thursday night, July 9, at which the matter of third-country deportees to Antigua and Barbuda was discussed.

Although the controversial agreement between the Gaston Browne Administration and the US State Department is set to be debated in the Lower House at the upcoming sitting,  MP Pringle informed the audience that, up until that time, he still had not had sight of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) the prime minister signed last December.

Neither had he received the package of Bills and Motions to be debated – despite the parliamentary requirement that these documents be received five (5) clear business days before the debate.

In fact, it was not until Friday afternoon that the papers were delivered to the Office of the Leader of the Opposition – still without the MoU, making a lie of the prime minister’s claim that he had had it circulated since last year.

However, this is not MP Pringle’s only grievance: With only a single business day  before Tuesday’s sitting, the Order Paper distributed on Friday contains seven (7) Bills – every one of which is down for the first, second and third readings – and nine (9) Motions.

“There is no way we could receive these Bills and Motions today and be expected to consult, caucus, research, and properly prepare for debate on Tuesday,” he tells our Newsroom.  “There’s a reason for giving Notice  seven days ahead of a sitting and also a five-day period to have the actual documents in hand.”

Accordingly, he and his colleagues in the UPP see the callous disregard of the Parliament’s Standing Orders not only as a breach of the rules, but a naked insult to the Members of the Opposition – Pringle, himself, and Barbuda MP Trevor Walker.

“There is no need for this high-handed approach and disrespect to the Opposition,” one Party official notes.  “After all, no Government MP is ever going to dissent on a Bill and the ‘Ayes’ will always have it.  This behaviour is just a show of power on the part of the prime minister and attorney-general.”

Among the Bills listed for debate are the Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment (Amendment) Act, 2026, which is expected to tweak the law to accommodate the  recent demands of the European Union (EU).

On Thursday night, MP Pringle promised the audience that another town hall will be held shortly to discuss the implications of the EU’s ultimatum that the CIP be totally phased out by June 2028.

“Since the Browne Administration has demonstrated no interest in hearing from the public before going to Parliament on these matters, we believe the UPP has an obligation to listen to the people and to be guided by their convictions.  Ultimately, whatever happens with the CIP, it is they who will be most affected,” MP Pringle says.