A HOUSE DIVIDED

Despite the public fallout, the PNM Executive is putting its foot down, determined to implement the Cabinet decision of October 23, to have the Parliament evicted from the Red House to make way for the Office of the Prime Minister, sources have confirmed. But the Cabinet decision flies in the face of a decision by the House Committee of the House of Representatives comprising Cabinet members Ken Valley and Colm Imbert, which agreed earlier this year that finding an alternative site for the temporary relocation of Parliament was impossible, and therefore that the Parliament should be “ relocated internally” as (restoration) work proceed.

According to minutes of the Committee meetings, which are lodged in the Parliament Library, the  Government-led Committee also expressed dissatisfaction with the designated site of the new Parliament building on the block north of the Red House, bounded by Knox Street, Abercromby Street, Duke Street and St Vincent Street.  On July 18, when UDeCOTT chairman, Calder Hart made a formal presentation for the construction of the new building, “the Committee advised Mr Hart that it was not in agreement with the proposed site and suggested other locations within the confines of the city of Port-of-Spain, namely the Princess Building  Grounds or the area where the Emperor Valley Zoo is housed (after relocation of the Zoo). (There is an independent proposal to relocate the Zoo and the Committee took this into consideration).

Sunday Newsday investigations revealed that Government and the House Committee of the House of Representatives, on which the Government has a majority of members are at odds over the two fundamental issues driving the Red House Restoration Project — the question of the temporary relocation of  Parliament as well as the matter of the search for a permanent home for Parliament. Cabinet earlier this year considered the Cyril Duprey Building as a short-term place for the Parliament, with additional accommodation available if necessary at the Public Library. Since then, other sites proposed include the Chaguaramas Hotel and Conference Centre and a new unoccupied building on Cipriani Boulevard. But according to the minutes of the House Committee, an evaluation of all these buildings by the Parliament Secretariat revealed serious shortcomings. In all cases the issue of security concerns as well as prohibitive costs in preparing the buildings to house the Parliament were pinpointed.

The latter concern was particularly significant in light of the fact that all the buildings were privately owned. Details of the evaluation showed that the Chaguaramas Hotel and Conference Centre was also thought to be too distant; that the Cyril Duprey Building had no floor large enough to accommodate the Chamber, the media and public gallery and there was inadequate parking. The new unoccupied building on Cipriani Boulevard was felt to be structurally inadequate and there were also special security concerns because this was a popular liming spot particularly on Fridays (which is when the House of Representatives meets) with entertainment places such as Jenny’s, Martin’s and Tony Roma’s nearby. The evaluation also reported that an internal relocation had some drawbacks, namely no room for official functions (except Members Lounge); the presence of contractors, architects, and unknown persons in the areas under restoration and the inconveniences such as restricted access to the building and noise from time to time.

However, in the House Committee’s report tabled on September 10,  it stated that the Committee “took note of the fact that the Red House Restoration Project had commenced and approved a strategy for the progression of works so as to minimise the disruption of the work of Parliament and discomforts to Members and staff. “As a consequence, all parliamentary activities will be based in the north wing of the building, paving the way for the unhindered restoration of the south wing, south chamber and the rotunda,” the report stated. The members of the House Committee are Valley (chairman), Colm Imbert, Anthony Roberts, Eudine Job-Davis, Adesh Nanan and  Manohar Ramsaran. During the course of the Committee meetings, UNC MP Manohar Ramsaran stressed that Parliament should not be relocated from the Red House. He emphasised that “this was the feeling of many others.” In fact he indicated that he preferred to consult with his party caucus before agreeing to be part of any meeting with UDeCOTT on the matter of a new Parliament building.

UDeCOTT’s chairman, Calder Hart, in his submission to the Committee said it was envisaged that key features of the new building would be two chambers, world-class reference facilities, adequate press and public galleries and “smart” building security. The  Cabinet’s recent decision is in conflict, not only with the recommendation of the current House Committee, but is a complete reversal of the decision of the then Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj-led House Committee (of 1996-1997 on which Valley also served as a member). That committee recommended  that “for the proper functioning of the Parliament, the Red House should be restored and dedicated to the sole use of the Parliament.” It was further to that decision that the  UNC Cabinet ordered the Legal Affairs department and the Lands and Surveys department out of the building. This was done by 2001. In arguing the case for the eviction of Parliament in February of this year, the Cabinet noted that the emptying of the Parliament was done “through attrition (whereby) the Parliament became the sole occupier of the Red House.”

“This type of unplanned development is symptomatic of the development of our city core and does little to enhance the vision on an urban centre for a developed nation,” it stated, adding, “The Minister of Public Administration and Information is of the view that it is now time that some order be brought into the planning for the seat of Government in the city.”  The Cabinet noted that “it is instructive to note the Red House originally was the seat of Government, which in addition to the Parliament housed many other Government agencies. “It had housed the Office of the Attorney General, the Supreme Court of Judicature, the Colonial Secretary’s office, the Registrar General’s department, the Lands and Surveys department and they were relocated because of their expanding needs over time,” the Cabinet said. Restorations works are expected to last four years.