The government’s intention to have Members of Parliament (MPs) declare annual declarations of income to the Integrity Commission or face disciplinary action was temporarily put on hold when a motion to give effect to this was deferred at Thursday’s sitting of the National Assembly.

When the time came for the motion, in the name of Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, to be debated, Speaker of the House Ralph Ramkarran informed the Assembly that the debate had been deferred at the request of the opposition.

The third resolve clause of the motion calls for the House to declare “that failure of Members of Parliament to submit annual declarations is a violation of the law and a gross indictment of those members and vicariously on the integrity of Parliament.”  The motion also calls for persistent defaulters to be sanctioned by the House according to established norms of ethics and brought before the Committee of Privileges.

Earlier in the proceedings, AFC Leader Raphael Trotman asked Prime Minister Sam Hinds to name the Chairman of the Integrity Commission. The Prime Minister then commenced a lengthy explanation, in which he stated that the last Chairman of the Commission Bishop Randolph George had resigned some years ago. He suggested that this was due to certain comments from the opposition parties. Bishop George submitted his resignation as Chairman of the Integrity Commission since April 2006. Hinds told the House that despite the Chairman’s resignation, the other three members who constitute the Commission have been meeting.  They last met on 9th March, 2010, Hinds said.

On January 19, 2009, President Bharrat Jagdeo when he issued a two-week ultimatum to Members of Parliament to submit statements of their income an assets to the Integrity Commission or face the possibility of criminal charges. The President also said he would urge the Integrity Commission to publish the names of defaulting MPs in the national newspapers.

Following, the President’s statements, the Parliamentary Opposition rejected the ultimatum and raised questions about the legality of the Commission. Subsequently, Jagdeo and Opposition leader Robert Corbin held consultations on members of the Commission, resulting in the appointment of three members. There has still been no conclusion on the issue of a Chairman of the body.