Opposition Leader Jamal Pringle is accusing the government of bypassing Parliament, the opposition, and the public in negotiating an agreement that could result in third-country deportees being sent to Antigua and Barbuda.
According to Antigua News Room, Pringle made the remarks during an appearance on Observer Radio's Voice of the People on Tuesday, arguing that the government should have engaged opposition lawmakers from the moment negotiations began rather than proceeding unilaterally.
"When you look at this whole third-country deportee situation, the first thing that should have happened when this came up is for the government to call the members of the opposition and start the dialogue," Pringle said.
He stressed that the potential national implications of the proposal demanded public disclosure from the outset. "They share the information surrounding this situation and you start the consultation with the people. This is not a situation that you handle just as government because it's going to affect the entire country," he said.
Pringle renewed his calls for the government to publish the memorandum of understanding governing the arrangement and to table it in Parliament. "I would have asked some time ago for the Prime Minister to publish the MOU, lay before Parliament all the information on this matter so that we, as parliamentarians, can be aware of the situation," he said.
The Opposition Leader insisted the matter must be treated as a national concern rather than a decision left solely to the administration. "It must be people-driven," Pringle said. "It's not for Gaston Browne and Ron Sanders to accept on our behalf. It's for them to come back to us, show us the proposal, show us what they're hoping to accomplish and what they want to send to the State Department."
Pringle connected the controversy to wider concerns about government transparency, noting that opposition members have repeatedly sought information through Parliament with limited success. He also criticised delays in establishing a fully operational Information Commissioner, arguing the office remains unable to effectively facilitate public access to government information.
The government has defended its approach to discussions with the United States. Prime Minister Gaston Browne has previously stated that negotiations over the proposed arrangement began last year and form part of broader diplomatic engagements. Browne has also indicated that a White Paper outlining the agreement will be presented to Parliament.
