Sturge ‘demonised’ for abstention

He made the comment yesterday during debate on the Tobago House of Assembly Election (Validation) Bill. Sturge was referring to the vote on the Miscellaneous Provisions (Marriage) Bill, 2016 which was passed on Tuesday night with he and other Opposition Senators Wade Mark, Khadijah Ameen and Gerald Ramdeen as well as Independent Senator Dr Dhanayshar Mahabir abstaining. On social media a photo has been circulating with photos of the four Opposition Senators and the phrase “we support paedophilia”.

The bill was passed by a margin of 23 for, none against, five abstentions.

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Wade Mark said subsequently that the abstentions had nothing to do with the change in the marriage age to 18, which he said the United National Congress fully supported, but due to Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi “engaging in Constitutional gymnastics” and stating that the bill, which infringes on people’s rights, only requires a simple majority rather than a three fifths majority.

Yesterday Sturge said that also expected to be also demonised either for voting or abstaining on legislation to validate tomorrow’s Tobago House of Assembly (THA) elections; he decided to vote for the legislation which was passed yesterday