Political Leader of the United National Congress (UNC) Kamla Persad-Bissessar said the amendments to the Procurement Law, which will be up for debate in Parliament on Wednesday, will be the last rites for the legislation.
At the UNC’s Monday night meeting in Princes Town, Persad-Bissessar said the amendments to the legislation would “kill it”.
“They’re coming Wednesday to further water down the procurement law—put the last nail in the coffin and do the last rites and bury the law. That is not worth the piece of paper it’s written on,” she said, tearing up the copy.
She said the amendment involved removing the present clause for affirmative resolution for exempting items from the procurement law which requires Parliament approval and instituting negative resolution.
“So when you do that on Wednesday, you’ll be saying you can exempt any service, supply of any goods minus parliamentary oversight. So every Monday morning Imbert gets up and decides on exempting; he just writes up the order, and it takes effect immediately if not challenged in Parliament in 40 days … It continues. He’s being given a blank cheque when you put in a negative resolution.
“UNC will not support this butchering and killing of the procurement law!” she declared.
Rowley said in order for the Government to function, sensible arrangements had to be made and the Parliament would be recalled from the current recess to do amendments.
Persad-Bissessar said, “They’re coming to validate what they’ve illegally done—so how much money was spent for that Caricom Summit, and who are the contractors and suppliers involved for the summit?”
She asked if Imbert committed a criminal act since he failed to bring the exemption order to Parliament. She said the Attorney General must also be “investigated and charged with Imbert for allegedly breaking the laws.”