Attorney General Anil Nandlall this afternoon delivered a message to the National Assembly from President Irfaan Ali on the MV Barima ferry tragedy, which has claimed more than 70 lives with dozens more still missing.

As Opposition Members of Parliament loudly protested in the House demanding the removal of the subject Ministers over the ferry tragedy, the Attorney General continued on with his delivery of the President’s message to the Assembly.

In that message on behalf of the President, the Attorney General said the President wants this time to be used to unite rather than divide the country.

“Our nation today bleeds from the calamitous loss of so many of our sons and daughters, no words can truly capture the depth of grief that has descended on our country. This tragedy has shaken our Republic to its very foundation. It has left an ache in every community, in every home and in every heart. It is a wound that we will carry together and it is one that history will forever recall as among the greatest sorrows of our nation”, the Attorney General said on behalf of the President.

As the protest chants from the Opposition grew louder, the Attorney General on the President’s behalf told the Assembly that the survivors of the tragedy and the relatives of those who died must know that they are not alone, and that the nation and the Government will continue to stand by their side and offer them support.

“The magnitude of the tragedy has left countless families bearing immeasurable burdens of grief, our hearts are especially with them, and I once again extend our deepest condolences to every family and every individual that has suffered unimaginable losses. We mourn with you and we grieve beside you. Your pain has become the nation’s pain. To those who survived this horrific ordeal, we know that survival itself carries its own burden. The memories of that dreadful night may remain with you for years to come. You are not alone, your country stands beside you”, he said.

The President, through the Attorney General, also told the National Assembly that the Government’s intention is to continuously offer assistance to the survivors and the families of those who died in the tragedy. He made reference to the Commission of Inquiry and the work it will have to do, adding that no stone will be left “un-turned”.

Reading the President’s message, Mr. Nandlall said “our responsibility to these families does not end with recovery operations. It will continue for as long as necessary. We shall walk with them through their grief, assist them in rebuilding their lives and ensure that they never face this burden alone”.

As the Attorney General repeated the President’s call for unity in face of the tragedy, the members of the Opposition stepped out from their seats and continued their protest in the Assembly, inching closer towards the Attorney General, forcing the Speaker to plead with them to return to their seats, even as Members of the Government stood to their feet and surrounded the Attorney General as he continued the delivery of the President’s message to the National Assembly on the MV Barima tragedy.

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