The opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) has announced plans to hold a series of public consultations with residents before Parliament debates the Government's White Paper on a proposed third-country deportee agreement with the United States, according to Antigua.news.
UPP Political Leader and lone Member of Parliament Jamale Pringle will lead the consultations, giving constituents an opportunity to voice their views before the matter reaches the floor of Parliament. While the sessions are expected to take place before the week of July 13 — when the parliamentary debate is anticipated — specific dates and venues have not yet been announced.
The UPP argues that elected representatives carry a responsibility to seek the views of those they represent before taking positions on significant national issues. "We operate within a representative democracy, and representatives should reflect the wishes of the people who elected them," Pringle said, stressing that MPs should not make decisions without first consulting their constituents.
Pringle indicated the party intends to use the parliamentary debate to challenge what it considers shortcomings in the Government's White Paper. Chief among the UPP's concerns is the absence of supporting documentation related to the proposed arrangement. The party plans to question why key documents have not been made publicly available. Further details on the consultation meetings, including locations and schedules, are expected to be released in the coming days.
Last week, the Government announced the publication of a White Paper outlining proposals from the United States concerning the possible reception in Antigua and Barbuda of certain third-country nationals removed from American soil. The White Paper sets out the background to the discussions, the issues at stake for Antigua and Barbuda, the Government's assessment of the proposals received, and the principles and conditions under which any cooperation could responsibly be considered.
The Government has determined that the matter raises important questions touching on sovereignty, legal responsibility, public finance, national security, social stability, and Antigua and Barbuda's international obligations. It has concluded that the issue must be addressed in a clear, orderly, and transparent manner.
The White Paper states that Antigua and Barbuda has approached the matter in a spirit of friendship and cooperation, while making clear that, as a small state with limited resources and limited absorptive capacity, it cannot responsibly accept open-ended obligations involving persons who are not its nationals and whose removal is sought by another country. The Government has confirmed the White Paper will be laid before Parliament at a Special Session to be convened during the week of July 13.
