Prakash: Govt ‘game play’ on child marriage

Speaking to reporters at the launch of his constituency’s Food For All God’s Own initiative in St Augustine, Ramadhar said this was his biggest disappointment in the debate.

Ramadhar, an attorney, said while the Opposition’s position was that the debate on the controversial issue was a no-brainer, the Government had used child marriage in what he called a “constitutional game play.” “When you started by saying that this bill required a constitutional majority but because of a strategic decision, they made it a simple majority, what you have done is that you have interfered with the parliamentary democracy - the right of the Opposition and all those who supported them to have a say in the legislative move,” Ramadhar said.

He also accused some Government members of “demonising” the legislation by suggesting that those who showed some level of resistance to outlawing child marriage were paedophiles.

“That, to me, is really immature in the worst possible way,” Ramadhar said. “My argument had been that I had no problem supporting the legislation. However, it should have been a constitutional majority . It was a simple majority but it was unanimously supported.” The former legal affairs minister said he was not concerned about any potential fallout to the passage of the legislation.

He said the society was a mature one and people were given their voice in the Parliament.

“The Government has its policy decisions, that is their right. They were elected to govern and, therefore, we can’t have it all our way,” he said.

“I spoke on that bill and I felt that all minorities need to be respected but at the end of the day a decision has to be made.

“Yesterday (Friday), a decision was made by the Parliament and as a democracy, we have to respect that whether we like it or not.” The legislation has effectively raised the legal age of marriage to 18.