Latest update January 6th, 2025 4:00 AM
$95M budgeted for major Parliamentary security upgrade …new perimeter fence, CCTV cameras & scanners on the cards
Flashback! Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland watches as ‘Santa’ is restrained upon entering the Parliament chamber last year December.
The Parliament Office has mapped out a major plan to upgrade the security in and around the Public Buildings in Georgetown, almost a year after sittings were disrupted by incidents inside the chamber.
Parliament officials are tightlipped about the overall plan because it forms part of their 2019 budget which is still awaiting approval from Members of Parliament (MPs).
The full budget being considered is $1.8 billion. Of that amount, $95M is to facilitate the security plans. According to the budget plan, $20M is to facilitate the construction of a fence around the outer perimeter of the public buildings while $12M is for the extension of the building to house the Parliamentary Police Unit.
Another planned upgrade is $6M for the construction of a security reception area and police strong box and another $8M for construction of a monitoring room for security cameras.
The Parliament Office has also budgeted $10M to procure four electrical cane gates with walk-through metal detectors. Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) and accessories is pegged at $13M with the erection of poles for the cameras estimated at $5M.
There are also plans to install a baggage scanner at $15M and lockers at $6M.
There are other upgrades planned for the Parliament building including the installation of an elevator for $20M and the procurement of seats for the public gallery budgeted at $2.5M. Last December, events at the National Assembly drew criticisms.
During the considerations of the 2018 budget estimates, a woman in ‘Santa Claus’ attire entered the Parliament Chamber and attempted to present Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, with an Oxford Dictionary.
Indications are that the woman came in properly dressed and changed her clothes in the MPs bathroom.
Police investigators determined the Santa visit was a prank.
Then an incident a few days later raised further questions. Police officers poured into the Parliament Chamber to assist with the removal of People’s Progressive Party (PPP) MP Juan Edghill who refused to leave the sitting although ordered to do so by the Speaker.
Several PPP MPs who had surrounded Edghill physically clashed with the police during the ordeal. Edghill was suspended and security tightened in the ensuing days.
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