P.U.P. Plans for Reform
John Briceño
The recent scandals in the United Democratic Party has reigniting the conversation and call from the public for better governance structures and practices. Today, in an interview on Open Your Eyes, Leader of the Opposition John Briceño said his party recognises that governance is on the forefront of everyone’s mind. This is why the P.U.P. has chosen to outline their plans for reform if elected to office.
John Briceño, Leader of the Opposition
“The only way we can do that is by passing legislation, but legislation that has teeth that will be able to get it… We have a lot of laws you know, but we don’t implement them. That is why we are saying that we have to remove some of those powers. We are saying that one the things we’ll be doing – it wasn’t a part of what we mentioned – but we have to limit the powers of the ministers and I am saying that within the first six months, we are going to come up with a plan as to how we can limit the powers of the ministers. But the specific things we are talking about: strengthening the Accountant General’s Office, the Integrity Commission’s Office—making sure that that House works. We meet what…once every three months, every two months? We are saying that we are going to meet at a minimum of once every month. But also, these House committees that meet in secret and committee meetings that take two to three minute. We are saying that first of all the Public Accounts Committee, which the government has been very good in frustrating Julius Espat as the chairman. That is the only committee that the Opposition controls, or has the chair. We have to change the composition and we will not allow substantive ministers to be a part of the Public Accounts Committee. They are not going to investigate themselves, so we have to change that. We will change that. Also, we need to make it public; that any member of this country, any citizen can go and attend these committee meetings and we use technology. We could live stream it on the internet where anybody and everyone can see it.”
