Baboolal rules against Dumas

Senate President Linda Baboolal had cause to ask Attorney General Glenda Morean to withdraw a remark in the Senate yesterday after UNC Senator Carol Seepersad-Bachan objected. But the President also had to deal with a cheeky remark from UNC Senator Armin Smith, when he failed in a similar attempt.

Smith who sought to get the Senate President to have the AG withdraw another statement, was clearly upset when Baboolal ruled in the AG’s favour. “I hope when yuh make yuh ruling, yuh tell everybody that,” Smith said petulantly. “Senator Smith, did you say something,” Baboolal asked sternly. “I am on my chair,” Smith countered. The Senate was debating Senator Ken Ramchand’s motion on constitution reform. Morean in her contribution stated that one expected that a constitution would have to be reassessed over time to meet the changing political landscape. But, she stressed, a wholesale reconstruction, such as the one being called for by the Opposition, could not be done in a short space of time. This process calls for national consultation and dialogue involving the people of the country, she said, noting that this process could take years. She said when she heard the Opposition hinging its support for the Police Reform Bills on an  undertaking from Government for total constitution reform, she felt sad at this “dishonesty”. She said she also felt sad that the Opposition was prepared to go back on its commitment to support the bill.

The Attorney General said new topics such as the issue of power-sharing and repatriation of our justice system — delinking of Privy Council and establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice, would be put on the agenda for constitution reform. She said there was no general consensus that the Republican Constitution was outdated, though recent developments suggested that there was a need for some adaptation of its provisions. She added that it was not clear that this exercise should be undertaken by the politicians. “The issues must be de-politicised. It must not be put in the hands of the politicians initially,” she said, adding that this was why she disagreed with the position that the matter should be referred to a Joint Select Committee. The AG however got into some hot water when she said that her position was strengthened when she heard UNC Senator Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan say that she was proud of the airport.

Noting that millions of dollars were improperly transferred all over the world. “And she is proud of that,” Morean said. However after repeated objections from Seepersad-Bachan, the Senate President asked the Attorney General to withdraw the remark. Morean said she stood like Alice in Wonderland as she heard Opposition Members talking about the constitution as though they suddenly discovered that there were problems with it, that the Prime Minister had too much power. Morean presented an amendment to the original motion. The amendment asked the Parliament to support Government in its quest for contitution reform and noted that Government had already begun the process through legislation such as the Police Reform Bill.