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Warmington, Pickersgill Reject ECJ Recommendations
Published: Wednesday | January 12, 20110 Comments and 0 Reactions
AN UNUSUAL alliance was forged in Gordon House yesterday when junior government minister Everald Warmington and Opposition Member of Parliament Robert Pickersgill teamed up to shred a number of recommendations submitted in a report from the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ).
Declaring that they rejected sections of the report, the two MPs signalled that they could not support the recommendations unless radical changes were made.
"There are some aspects that are acceptable, but there are others that are totally unacceptable," War-mington charged.
He was also upset over a proposal by the ECJ for the constituted authority, instead of the Cabinet, to give advice to the governor general to postpone a general election.
"If we should approve what is here, it would mean that we are giving them a blank cheque ... to run things in this country," Warmington insisted.
Turning to the controversial proposal to make the chairman's salary equal to that of a senior puisne judge, Warmington said this recommended increase was offensive.
He said members of the commission only worked four hours a month and earned $8 million a year.
'Take a stipend instead'
This was later challenged by Opposition Member of Parliament Dr D.K. Duncan, who recently joined the commission.
The junior minister suggested the commissioners take a stipend and allowance for travelling if they were committed to helping the country.
Warmington's comments follow questions raised by The Gleaner's Gavel column on Monday, which criticised the high salaries of the ECJ commissioners.
In his comments, Pickersgill said he had made it clear to his party that he would not support certain proposals submitted by the ECJ.
Debate on the ECJ report was suspended after Prime Minister Bruce Golding suggested that the Government and Opposition engage in dialogue on the matter. His suggestion was supported by Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller.
Published: Wednesday | January 12, 20110 Comments and 0 Reactions
AN UNUSUAL alliance was forged in Gordon House yesterday when junior government minister Everald Warmington and Opposition Member of Parliament Robert Pickersgill teamed up to shred a number of recommendations submitted in a report from the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ).
Declaring that they rejected sections of the report, the two MPs signalled that they could not support the recommendations unless radical changes were made.
"There are some aspects that are acceptable, but there are others that are totally unacceptable," War-mington charged.
He was also upset over a proposal by the ECJ for the constituted authority, instead of the Cabinet, to give advice to the governor general to postpone a general election.
"If we should approve what is here, it would mean that we are giving them a blank cheque ... to run things in this country," Warmington insisted.
Turning to the controversial proposal to make the chairman's salary equal to that of a senior puisne judge, Warmington said this recommended increase was offensive.
He said members of the commission only worked four hours a month and earned $8 million a year.
'Take a stipend instead'
This was later challenged by Opposition Member of Parliament Dr D.K. Duncan, who recently joined the commission.
The junior minister suggested the commissioners take a stipend and allowance for travelling if they were committed to helping the country.
Warmington's comments follow questions raised by The Gleaner's Gavel column on Monday, which criticised the high salaries of the ECJ commissioners.
In his comments, Pickersgill said he had made it clear to his party that he would not support certain proposals submitted by the ECJ.
Debate on the ECJ report was suspended after Prime Minister Bruce Golding suggested that the Government and Opposition engage in dialogue on the matter. His suggestion was supported by Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller.
