Golding wants parliamentary committees again chaired by opposition members

 

Opposition Leader Mark Golding has called for the return of a system where parliamentary committees are chaired by opposition members. 

 

Mr. Golding, addressing Thursday's first sitting of Parliament since the September 3 general election, said the reinstatement of such a system would promote greater accountability.

 

"Former Prime Minister Bruce Golding from that side was the one who instituted the mechanism of having the opposition appoint the chairman and chairpersons of these committees. And it was continued by the Most Honourable Portia Simpson Miller when she was Prime Minister and by Most Honourable Andrew Holness in his first term and then discontinued. And I urge him to reconsider the discontinuance of that, what I think was the building of an important convention in achieving greater levels of accountability in our Parliament," he appealed.

 

Minister Golding also pledged that the parliamentary opposition will seek to ensure the Jamaica Labour Party administration keeps its election campaign promises.

 

"We intend to hold this government to account for all the promises that they made to the people of Jamaica in the course of the last election in seeking a third term of office and in achieving higher levels of performance than they have been able to achieve thus far. And we intend to also put forward our own proposals as to how we would do that so that Jamaica could be a place in which the aspirations of our people can be made right here on this rock and not by way of having to migrate or seek solace elsewhere," he asserted. 

 

Mr. Golding said with the country set to hit the target of a 60?bt to GDP ratio, it is time for citizens to begin feeling the effects of the macroeconomic gains.