Opposition disrupts Parliament as Jamaica faces graduation row, flat growth, and JSE suspensions

Opposition members brought Jamaica's House of Representatives to a standstill on Tuesday, chanting that they must be heard after Leader of Opposition Business Philip Paulwell rose to speak but was denied the floor. The Speaker ordered Mr Paulwell to take his seat, yet opposition MPs kept up the protest, forcing a pause as tension echoed through the chamber. People's National Party members accuse the Speaker of bias and of shutting down debate amid wider friction with the government.

The disruption came as advocates pressed the Ministry of Education to set clear graduation rules that safeguard students' rights. The appeal follows reports that several pupils at Ascot Primary School were barred from wearing graduation gowns because they did not score highly enough on recent Primary Exit Profile examinations. On Tuesday's Lead Story Prime, Sabrina Barnes, Youth Policy Committee chair for the Food for the Children Foundation, said public condemnation of the incident is insufficient and that written guidelines are needed before graduation season. Parents interviewed by CVM News offered split views: one unnamed parent defended the principal's strict standards and argued complaints stem partly from refund demands, while another said the dispute was presented one-sidedly despite prior notice to families. The school's parent-teacher association secretary said the PTA has no authority over graduation decisions.

Jamaica's economy barely grew in 2025, expanding by just 0.1% after Hurricane Melissa erased an estimated 3.9 percentage points from expected output, according to the Planning Institute of Jamaica's latest Economic and Social Survey. The category-five storm on 28 October drove a 7.1% contraction in the October–December quarter, ending three straight quarters of growth. The report warns that higher public spending and slower growth will strain fiscal and debt targets in the near term, though officials note resilience despite global trade disruptions.

The Jamaica Stock Exchange suspended trading in shares of King Tar Holdings JA Limited and Atlantic Hardware and Plumbing Company Limited effective 1 July 2026. Both firms are 91 days overdue in filing audited financial statements for 31 December 2025, which were due 31 March, triggering a junior-market rule requiring suspension after 90 days.

National Security and Peace Minister Dr Horace Chang told Parliament Tuesday that fear is easing as murders and shootings fall, citing safer community routines and stronger business confidence since 2025. He rejected opposition suggestions that a security arrangement with the United States would bring criminals into Jamaica, insisting no offender would find safe haven under the Holness administration.

The National Solid Waste Management Authority added four water trucks to its fleet at a Tuesday handover. Executive Director Audley Gordon called the step historic and said each region will receive a new unit.

A week after twin earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 devastated parts of Venezuela, Caracas writer and blogger Victor Drak Coyote told CVM TV recovery efforts are uneven, with some aid centres holding excess food but lacking medicines while others face the opposite shortage.

Regional leaders closed the 15th Caribbean Urban Forum on Friday at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston, adopting the Kingston Declaration on urban resilience. Kingston Mayor Andrew Sweaby urged municipalities to launch at least one adaptation initiative within six months and pledged the capital's leadership in Caribbean cooperation.