PNM, UNC prepare for battle in Parliament

THE RULING People’s National Movement (PNM) and the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) have spent the last month sharpening their political swords in preparation for battle in Parliament on Friday and from the onset, it seems that both sides will continue from where they left off when Parliament took its month-long summer break.

Last week, Attorney General Glenda Morean-Phillip said legislation to enact the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the Firearms Bill and the Terrorism Bill were some of the major pieces of legislation that would be brought to Parliament in the coming weeks. Prime Minister Patrick Manning hinted that CCJ legislation could be laid in Parliament next week. The Government will be placing special emphasis on the passage of this legislation, which requires a special majority, ahead of the scheduled November 15 opening of the court. Caricom leaders are due to meet in Port-of-Spain before the CCJ’s opening. While the UNC has refused to support the CCJ legislation until there is constitutional reform in Trinidad and Tobago, Morean-Phillip was optimistic last week that some compromise could be reached. When contacted yesterday, Opposition Chief Whip Ganga Singh said after two years in government, the PNM “is yet to put together a clear legislative programme.” Singh charged the Government with dragging its feet on several issues and refusing to answer “a backlog” of questions. On the CCJ legislation, Singh said the UNC remained open to talks with Government, but was “not going to compromise” on its call for constitutional reform.  St Joseph MP Gerald Yetming has expressed disagreement with this strategy and whether he votes with the UNC on the CCJ legislation remains to be seen.