N.G.O. Senator Objects to Use of BNN Letter

In the letter, the N.G.O. says that it was agreed that this decision as well as the suggested way forward would have been shared with and reviewed by the oversight committee prior to public release which had been scheduled for Friday, April twenty-fourth, 2020. It complains that if the committee does not so do, it will hinder cooperation, coordination and trust now that the letter was leaked and formed a part of Chebat’s presentation in the Senate.   N.G.O. Senator Osmany Salas, who was absent from today’s proceedings, spoke with News Five earlier today clarifying that the letter was only intended for the PM and his co-chair.

On the Phone: Osmany Salas, N.G.O. Senator

“I heard my colleague, Senator Chebat, read out portions of the letter in the senate meeting earlier today.  I think it was very disingenuous on his part to do so and I believe he did that trying to build on the partisan agenda that he was trying to present at the senate this morning.  Our letter which is the fourth in a series to the co-chairs of the COVID-19 National Oversight Committee was not intended to go public.  Our letter was addressed to the co-chairs, the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, and it was copied to our N.G.O. network steering committee, our representative on the COVID-19 National Oversight Committee, Mr. Andre Carillo and myself.  It’s not the first time, as I said, it’s the fourth time that we have presented such a letter with our recommendations to the National Oversight Committee.  Our representative is very engaged at the National Oversight Committee and debriefs us after each meeting and just prior to each meeting.  So he has the full support of the B.N.N. steering committee.  So the engagement goes both ways.  So whenever we send letters to the co-chairs, it’s to help the COVID-19 response process and our representative at that committee.  That essentially has been the intention with our letters and as I mentioned before, whenever we want to make anything public we issue a statement or a press release.”