Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo is adamant that alcohol is consumed on a regular basis in the Parliament and he intends to bring a motion to seek answers on this issue, following the denial by Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes and other officials.
Hughes, also a parliamentarian, claimed that booze is only consumed in the parliamentary lounge on special occasions like Christmas, and she blasted the Opposition Leader for misleading the public.
The allegation of alcohol drinking was first made last week by Jagdeo amid an outcry over the $700,000 per sitting parliamentary food bill.
At a news conference Thursday, Jagdeo maintained that alcohol is regularly consumed by parliamentarians.
“It’s absolutely untrue,” he said about Minister Hughes comments.
“It’s a blatant lie. Totally blatant, unbelievable, bare-faced lie,” Jagdeo said, contending that “anyone who is in that lounge would see almost at every sitting they find some event to have alcohol consumed there.”
In a satirical manner, Jagdeo recommended that a breathalyzer test is installed at the parliament building to detect parliamentarians who consume alcohol.
On a more serious note, the Opposition Leader says he may have to bring a motion to the National Assembly seeking answers on the spending on alcohol not only in Parliament but for ministries and governmental departments.
The Opposition Leader said he is not opposed to parliamentarians enjoying a drink once in a while but he contended that it should not be at the expense of taxpayers.
