KINGSTON, Jamaica — The People’s National Party (PNP) is insisting that there was no walkout of the Parliamentary sitting yesterday at any time, contrary to postings on social media.

According to the PNP, there is a mischievous allegation circulating, mainly on social media, but also carried in the mainstream media, that  parliamentarians walked out before Peter Bunting rose to make his presentation in the 2018/2019 Sectoral Debate. 

“This allegation is false. There was no walkout of parliamentarians before or during the presentation of Peter Bunting,” the party said in a release today.

The PNP, in the statement, said that the evidence does not support the allegation that “PNP parliamentarians deliberately left Gordon House empty before Bunting’s presentation.”

“There was nothing unusual about the low turnout of parliamentarians during Sectoral Debate presentations, especially when for whatever reason, those presentations are delayed until late evening when other commitments have to be fulfilled,” the PNP added.

“Even before Mr Bunting arrived at the Parliament to make his presentation, a number of parliamentarians on both sides of the aisle were not in their seats. It is therefore unreasonable that this was presented by some people as a deliberate plan against Comrade Bunting, who himself, had been absent from the House while others have presented in the past, no doubt for unavoidable prior commitments,” the PNP said, adding that the sitting of the House of Representatives started at approximately 3:00 pm, an hour later than scheduled, and went on for three hours.