DEEPENING DEMOCRACY: Govt tables resolution to further parliamentary independence

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Minister of Foreign Affairs and Public Service Fred Mitchell yesterday moved a resolution in the House of Assembly that would see, if passed, a standing committee established with the remit to manage the offices of Parliament, creating further independence of the institution from the executive branch.

The ‘Management of the Budget Committee’ would be chaired by the speaker of the House, and work alongside a Senate committee with the same remit.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Public Service Fred Mitchell

Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister and Pinewood MP Myles LaRoda seconded the motion.

The resolution also seeks to deal with the financial support provided to MP and senators for their work.

Mitchell said the government had discussions with the leader of the opposition and the representative from the Senate and it appears there is broad consensus.

Opposition Leader Michael Pintard said the opposition has agreed in principle to look at and address the matter and called for a bipartisan approach to resolve some of the issues that have existed for decades, namely ensuring the powers of the executive and legislature are separate and seen to be so.

He said he would reserve some commentary until the views of the public have been gleaned.

Mitchell said the issue of empowering the House and Senate to manage its affairs is long overdue as is the challenge faced by parliamentarians who seek to carry out their work but need permission from the executive to do so.

“This is a part of the deepening our democracy,” Mitchell said.

Opposition Leader Michael Pintard

He continued: “I hope we have the fortitude to move for this standing committee and consider all of these things so the next generation of parliamentarians doesn’t have to face this and that we don’t end up in this debate picnicking off one another for political advantages, but rather do something which is statecraft.”

Mitchell said the population complains that there is a lack of support for them because certain things don’t exist, but when officials seek to resolve the matter, there is criticism that the government is seeking to spend too much money or is spending too much.

For example, he said MPs often have to carry a credit on behalf of the government for a year before they can be reimbursed for travel.

He said MPs should not have to be wealthy to run for office, and their work should properly be supported by the state to carry out their functions.

For example, the Fox Hill MP said he believes the House of Assembly should provide an accountant to assist members to carry out their public disclosure, which is a “scramble” to prepare ahead of the March deadline.

Separation

For his part, LaRoda said there can be no overlapping in the exclusivity and autonomy of powers among the various branches of government — “not if our democracy is going to function properly”.

“In other words, Madame Speaker, one cannot lay claim to be practicing democracy unless these three functions are being performed by three different branches of the government, hence the term separation of powers,” LaRoda said.

“The purpose of this motion that is before the House today is not to break new ground Madame Speaker.

“The purpose of this motion is rather to right a wrong.

Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister and Pinewood MP Myles LaRoda

LaRoda said it is obvious that many do not fully grasp the ideological concept of the separation of powers.

He said this was demonstrated with the “clench fist reluctance” over the last four years that saw the Parliament “descend to perhaps its lowest level” with the existing administrative structure of the Parliament requiring simple and mundane things in Parliament’s budget requiring Cabinet approval.

Former Speaker of the House of Assembly Halson Moultrie, who severed ties with the Free National Movement last February, said in September 2020 that said he could not continue to support the rules and mandate of Parliament that allowed the executive to pull the institution along like a “dinghy boat”.

He repeatedly insisted that the Parliament was under the complete control of the executive branch and lacked the basic tools to carry out its constitutional mandate.

Mitchell and LaRado also indicated that the time has come to build a new Parliament building, with the Fox Hill MP noting that it should be done by the new generation of young Bahamians.

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