Dumas faces more CEPEP questions

UNC Senate Leader Wade Mark will renew his ongoing CEPEP grilling of Public Utilities Minister Rennie Dumas with questions about the criteria used by the Solid Waste Management Company (SWMCOL) to award contracts to individuals and companies hired by the Community Environment Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) and the qualifications of persons comprising the SWMCOL panel to select companies/contractors for CEPEP. Tomorrow’s sitting of the Senate could also see a resumption of hostilities between Mark and Government Senator Danny Montano when Works Minister Franklyn Khan attempts to lay the Civil Aviation Bill in the Upper House for a second time. When Khan tried to lay the Bill in the Senate last Tuesday, Mark kept his seat and protested to Senate President Dr Linda Baboolal that the UNC had come prepared to debate the Anti-Kidnapping Bill, which will be debated tomorrow after the Civil Aviation Bill. This sparked a war of words between Mark and Montano. Baboolal was forced to suspend the sitting.

Attorney General Glenda Morean-Phillip will lay two Bills to amend the Commissions of Inquiry Act and the Supreme Court of Judicature Act. The Opposition will present motions asking Government how it proposes to deal with terrorism or terrorist groups in the country, to enact Equal Opportunity Legislation, regulation of the banking industry and what steps it will take to enact legislation similar with the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill 200. However, its no-confidence motion against Baboolal is missing from the Senate Order Paper. Debate will continue on motions by Independent Senator Ken Ramchand on constitutional reform and a Technical University of Trinidad and Tobago and his colleague Professor Ramesh Deosaran’s motion for live televised parliamentary debates.