For months the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee Julius Espat has been lamenting the fact that the Committee has been unable to get any work done. According to Espat, the biggest obstacle is the composition of the Committee since majority of the members are from the governing party. Espat has taken his fight to change the composition of the Committee public. Today he presented his motion to the House and it was met with less than a warm welcome.
HON. JULIUS ESPAT
“Whereas standing order 72 of the House of Representatives provides for the selection of standing committees and such other standing committees as may be necessary for the consideration of bills and other business committed or referred to a standing committee and whereas standing order 74/111 provides for a Public Accounts Committee which shall have the duty to examine, consider and report on (a) the account showing the appropriation of the sum granted by the National Assembly to meet the public expenditure of the country; (b) such other accounts as may be referred to the committee by the house or under any law © and the report of the Auditor General on any such accounts and whereas the present composition of the Public Accounts Committee as provided for by standing order 73/1 and 75/2 has rendered the committee moribund and thus unable to fulfill its lawful mandate and whereas standing order 72 of the Senate and standing order 78 of the House of Representatives both speak of the formation of a joint select committee at the request of either house with the approval of the other house and whereas it is herein that a joint Public Accounts Committee, in accordance with standing order 78 be created with its functions to be provided for under standing orders 74/1/11 and whereas the membership of the proposed committee is to consist of seven members; (1) four members from the House of Representatives of whom two shall be non-ministers from the Government side and (2) members from the Opposition – one should be Chairman of the joint Public Accounts Committee and (3) members from the Senate to be appointed in accordance with the standing orders of the Senate of whom one shall be representative from the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Belize Business Bureau and (2) one shall be representative of the National Trade Union Congress and Civil Society Steering Committee and the other shall be representative of the Belize Council of Churches and the Evangelical Association of Churches. Now therefore be it resolved that this House amends its standing orders to provide for the formation of a joint Public Accounts Committee to carry out the current functions of the Public Accounts Committee as prescribed by standing order 74/111 and (2) to provide for the selection of four members of the House of Representatives to be members of the joint Public Accounts Committee.”
After Espat made his case to his colleagues, the Prime Minister responded.
RT. HON DEAN BARROW
“Mr. Speaker, I am very sorry, this motion is entirely and wholly misconceived, shot through with procedural and substantive errors from beginning to end and I, after I finish speaking, will ask you for a ruling, Mr. Speaker, because it is my submission that it is out of order and has to fall without the merits of the motion being debated.”
Mr. Barrow then went in depth as to where Espat erred in procedures and his approach. Espat got support for the motion from former Prime Minister Said Musa.
RT. HON. SAID MUSA
“As I understand this motion, what I understand this motion is all about is —- that the house may, for the purposes of any select committee, it doesn’t say ‘special select committee, Prime Minister’ any select committee which includes the Public Accounts Committee. Our standing order, perhaps different from many others, is saying, the House may, for the purposes of any select committee appoint and it goes on to say, a joint select committee. What I understand this motion, Mr. Speaker, to be brought here for, is whether or not, this House, in its majority is prepared to form and appoint joint select committee. Is it prepared to do so? If it is not prepared to do so, then we are wasting time with even going to the committee of selection. The member is trying to get the sense of the House and he is entitled to do so and that is why he has brought this forth.”
In wrapping up his presentation Espat told the House the motion will not go away since the Belizean public is demanding change.
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