NO CONSTITUTION CHANGE FOR ACTING CoP VOTES UNC

CCNTV6

A bill brought by the Government to amend the Constitution to change the process for the appointment of an acting Police Commissioner and acting Deputy Commissioners of Police was voted down by the Opposition in the House of Representatives on Friday.  As such, the bill failed since it required a two-thirds majority.  Juhel Browne brings us the details.

Transcript

00:00 We don't anticipate the support of the United National Congress.

00:04 It would be a madman.

00:06 We are here with an amendment which the member admits

00:10 that he will not get the support of the loyal opposition,

00:14 but he brought it anyway.

00:16 They brought it anyway.

00:17 The clear lines are drawn in the House of Representatives on Friday,

00:21 as reflected by National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hines

00:24 on behalf of the government,

00:25 and Oropuch East MP Dr. Rulal Munilal

00:28 on behalf of the opposition on a bill meant to amend

00:31 Section 123 of the Constitution

00:34 to change the process for the appointments

00:36 of an acting police commissioner

00:38 and acting deputy police commissioners.

00:41 The bill required the support of the opposition.

00:44 We don't anticipate it.

00:46 We have a duty to the people of Trinidad and Tobago

00:51 to make available to them the best solutions,

00:56 the best ideas, the best thoughts and the best legislation.

01:00 Attorney General Roger L'Amour

01:02 piloted the proposed amendments to the Constitution.

01:05 The process for submitting names to the President

01:08 subject to parliamentary approval for acting appointments

01:12 has proved to be administratively burdensome and time-consuming.

01:18 We may well find ourselves in the situation

01:21 where the time required for compliance

01:24 with the constitutional provisions to make acting appointments

01:28 may far exceed the period of the absence

01:31 of the substantive office holder.

01:33 The Attorney General said that period of absence

01:36 includes illness, vacation or business trip,

01:39 and that the government is proposing such acting appointments

01:42 be made by the Police Service Commission.

01:45 Barataria San Juan MP Saddam Hussein, an attorney at law,

01:48 spoke about how the late Patrick Manning,

01:51 when he led the PNM, and the late Basdio Pandey,

01:54 when he led the UNC, dealt with a past amendment

01:57 of the Constitution by the Parliament.

02:00 That particular amendment, with respect to the 2006

02:04 format or formula for the appointment of a Commissioner of Police,

02:10 was done through extensive bipartisan consultation.

02:14 And today we are treated with scant disrespect

02:18 when this government comes here today, throws this bill in our face,

02:22 and says, "We require you to support this."

02:25 MP Hussein recalled the High Court's ruling

02:27 that acting appointments for the top posts in the Police Service

02:30 must be approved by Parliament,

02:33 as he made references to the government's recently formed

02:36 Committee Examining the Reform of the Constitution.

02:40 What we are doing here is part of constitutional reform.

02:44 Why not wait for that committee to report?

02:47 And that shows the regard and the disrespect they have

02:53 for a committee that they themselves appointed.

02:58 Wait for your own committee to tell you what procedure

03:01 you want reformed with respect to the Police Service Commission.

03:05 Later, during the committee stage, the Attorney General

03:07 highlighted a proposed new amendment.

03:09 If the amendment were considered in the rule, it would read,

03:13 "5A, the Police Service Commission shall appoint persons

03:17 to act for a period not exceeding 21 days

03:20 in the office of Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner of Police

03:23 in accordance with the criterion procedure prescribed

03:27 by order of the President subject to negative resolution of Parliament."

03:31 As expected, all of the government MPs present

03:34 voted in support of the bill.

03:36 All of the opposition MPs voted against it,

03:39 including Dinesh Rambali, who has recently voiced concerns

03:42 about the party to which he belongs.

03:45 Speaker of the House, Bridget Annisette George,

03:47 announced the final tally.

03:50 Honourable Members, with a division of 21 Members voting for,

03:55 18 Members voting against, and no abstentions,

03:59 the bill is not approved.

04:01 [drum roll]

04:02 That announcement was met with the approval of the members

04:05 of the opposition, as their vote against the bill

04:08 means that acting appointments for Commissioner

04:11 and Deputy Commissioners of Police must continue

04:14 to be approved by Parliament.

04:17 Jules Brown, TV6 News.

04:20 April.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended