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The Golding administration's plan to push through a ground breaking bill to eradicate corruption in the public sector has suffered a setback.
The Special Prosecutor legislation was railroaded during deliberations by a House Committee on Tuesday after Opposition members posed questions about the effectiveness of the bill in its current form.
Prime Minister Bruce Golding, who is piloting the Special Prosecutor Bill, had hoped that it would have got the green light from law makers by Wednesday.
But the signs were ominous even as Mr. Golding fought to keep the bill alive in the face of mounting faults being exposed.
So far the House Committee has passed only 23 of the 87 clauses that make up the bill.
But Opposition Members in the House of Representatives were pointed in their critique of the bill, arguing the provisions in Section 27 will conflict with the powers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Members of Parliament Ronald Thwaites and Anthony Hylton expressed dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister's opinion that the bill does not over-ride the powers of the DPP.
"There can be no prosecution by anybody, whatever you name them, without the implicit acquiescence of the DPP," Mr. Thwaites said.
"If we just cite what has happened to and what is happening with the INDECOM (the Independent Commission of Investigations) situation, I am not myself satisfied that what has occurred in that instance has been resolved on any basis that will ensure that that will not reoccur," said Mr. Hylton.
Obstructionist
But a glaring fault highlighted by the Central Kingston MP about the vagueness of who is an authorized person in the Bill prompted the Prime Minister to label Mr. Thwaites as an obstructionist.
"He cites that this is going to the constitutional practice that we have and yet in Hansard, not once during Mr. Thwaites’ presentation during this debate did he raise that issue and (that) leaves me in serious doubt as to what it is that is playing out in front of us," Mr. Golding stated.
Eventually deliberations on the Special Prosecutor Bill were suspended after law makers agreed for the proposed legislation to be reviewed by a special committee to facilitate further technical discussions.
The Special Prosecutor legislation was railroaded during deliberations by a House Committee on Tuesday after Opposition members posed questions about the effectiveness of the bill in its current form.
Prime Minister Bruce Golding, who is piloting the Special Prosecutor Bill, had hoped that it would have got the green light from law makers by Wednesday.
But the signs were ominous even as Mr. Golding fought to keep the bill alive in the face of mounting faults being exposed.
So far the House Committee has passed only 23 of the 87 clauses that make up the bill.
But Opposition Members in the House of Representatives were pointed in their critique of the bill, arguing the provisions in Section 27 will conflict with the powers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Members of Parliament Ronald Thwaites and Anthony Hylton expressed dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister's opinion that the bill does not over-ride the powers of the DPP.
"There can be no prosecution by anybody, whatever you name them, without the implicit acquiescence of the DPP," Mr. Thwaites said.
"If we just cite what has happened to and what is happening with the INDECOM (the Independent Commission of Investigations) situation, I am not myself satisfied that what has occurred in that instance has been resolved on any basis that will ensure that that will not reoccur," said Mr. Hylton.
Obstructionist
But a glaring fault highlighted by the Central Kingston MP about the vagueness of who is an authorized person in the Bill prompted the Prime Minister to label Mr. Thwaites as an obstructionist.
"He cites that this is going to the constitutional practice that we have and yet in Hansard, not once during Mr. Thwaites’ presentation during this debate did he raise that issue and (that) leaves me in serious doubt as to what it is that is playing out in front of us," Mr. Golding stated.
Eventually deliberations on the Special Prosecutor Bill were suspended after law makers agreed for the proposed legislation to be reviewed by a special committee to facilitate further technical discussions.
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