(Trinidad Express) The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2014 has been passed.
A vote was taken at 4a.m in Parliament yesterday, following debate which began on Monday morning. Twenty three members voted for the bill, 14 against, and there was one abstention. Congress of the People Members of Parliament Winston Dookeran and Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan voted against the Bill, and COP MP Rodger Samuel abstained, when called upon to vote. The COP is a member of the Peoples Partnership government. When debate began in Parliament at Tower D, International Waterfront, Port of Spain on Monday, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said she was allowing Government members to vote according to conscience, and released them from the doctrine of collective responsibility.
The Bill contains provisions for a two term limit for a Prime Minister, right to recall and a second ballot run-off.
“I cannot sit here and allow the next generation’s interest to be compromised by the politics of today.”
Dookeran on Monday night said as he announced that he would not be voting with the government to support the controversial Constitution Amendment Bill 2014.
Dookeran said he was listening to his inner voice.
He also slammed Attorney General Anand Ramlogan for his comments against Dr Merle Hodge.
“Dr Merle Hodge is indeed a respected activist, it is unfortunate that she was attacked especially by my colleague,” Dookeran said.
He then referred to a letter submitted by Hodge on the run-off provision in the bill.
“The run-off mechanism directly contradicts the principle of proportional representation which is a central recommendation of the Constitution Reform Commission,” Dookeran read.
“Over the last 12 hours or so I have been in a state of great torment,” Dookeran said.
“If I were to vote in support of this run-off mechanism I would be voting against the principle of proportional mechanism and that is my major concern at this point and I cannot have spent an entire life in search of a mechanism to bring about a wider participation of all the different groups in this society and adopted that we should move toward proportional representation in some form and fashion and now have to simply accept that a run-off mechanism will be a substitute and in fact it is a contradiction,” he said.
Dookeran said he made his views known to the Cabinet.
He said he wrote a five-page document calling for the establishment of a Joint Select Committee and have public consultation.
Dookeran said he was “disappointed” these suggestions were not accepted.
“This is not about the politics of today ,this about the politics of tomorrow and the next generation and I cannot sit here and allow the next generation’s interest to be compromised by the politics of today,” Dookeran said.
“I set myself that course many years ago when I went in Mid Centre Mall and called for a different kind of politics from what I inherited,” he said.
“That course is still in my mind and I am still motivated by it and I know it is right for the next generation of people in this country,” Dookeran said.
“The process is just as important as the content and I say now that we cannot accept a mechanism that is in contradiction of a fundamental principle of the Congress of the People,” he said.
Dookeran expressed concern that the country would be buying “cat in bag” with the proposed bill.
“The prime minister had announced earlier on that other legislation will come forward on proportional representation but we cannot deal with one part without dealing with the other part because then we will be buying cat in bag on this very fundamental issue for the people of this country. That is also my concern,” Dookeran said.
