2nd motion of P.U.P. Senator shot down by President of Senate

It is now three months since the immigration scandal broke, but an investigation doesn’t seem to be going anywhere at least no specific information has been forthcoming. So on November sixth, Opposition Senator Lisa Shoman presented a motion for a Senate inquiry into the scandal. The motion went to a vote and the result was a deadlock, with all government Senators voting no to the inquiry. Late last week, we told you that Shoman wrote to the Clerk of the National Assembly announcing her intention to take another motion before the Senate when it meets this Wednesday. Well today, that was shot down by President of the Senate Mark Pech, who told Shoman via letter that the motion had been defeated before, so would not be allowed on the agenda. Today an infuriated Shoman explained that the President obviously did not read the new motion, or he would have realized that it is a different one completely.

Lisa Shoman, P.U.P. Senator

Lisa Shoman

“Obviously there is something terribly wrong there because I have not bought back the same motion. Last Monday, I filed a completely different motion and the basis for this motion is different from the motion the last time. The last time when I filed notice of motion it was to have a senate inquiry under section sixty-one (A) two (A) of the constitution. And this time what I have asked for is for a special select committee to bring certain persons to be questioned by the senate. I was asking for the Auditor General to be questioned because I think senators want to know that the Auditor General’s investigation is going well; that she is getting cooperation; that she has the resources she needs and other questions. And also we were specifically naming two other people: Candelaria Saldivar, the C.E.O. of the Ministry of Immigration. Now among the questions I had for her is how could she be recommending people for visas? Had she ever met these people? When did she meet them? Under what circumstances? How long has she known them? That kind of thing. And also questions to Minister Godwin Hulse for him to tell us not only what is the status of investigations in his ministry, but also what can he tell the general public about all the new allegations that have kept cropping up. I had absolutely solid support from two of the three and the third support was already committed and being firmed up. So I am confident that had the motion been put on the agenda for Wednesday, you would definitely have seen at least six votes in favor of this motion. And let me hasten to tell you that I was waiting to see very interestedly how leader of the government business, senator, minister, Doctor Godwin Hulse was going to vote because this motion touches and concerns him being questioned and his C.E.O. being questioned.”

The motion will not make it onto Wednesday’s agenda, but Shoman says she will continue to fight to get the matter heard, one way or the other.