Leader of the Opposition supports the appointment of a 13th Senator

Francis Fonseca

Government this week named former FIU director, attorney Marilyn Williams, as chair of the Integrity Commission, four years after the commission last met. But there is another appointment in law that government is resisting; the thirteenth senator. The Prime Minister recently said that it is not going to happen because it would mean that the opposition and the non-governmental organization would control the senate and have the power to paralyze government.   On Thursday, the leader of the opposition, Francis Fonseca says that’s nonsense and he joined the call from the social partners in favor of the thirteenth senator.

FOR VIDEO CLICK HERE.

Francis Fonseca, Leader of the Opposition

“It is absolutely critically important. We have been supporting this from the very beginning. Yes, we need a thirteenth senator. A thirteenth senator would allow for the senate to be independent. We would not have the type of problems we are having now. And I don’t believe, as I’ve said on the record, that that would prevent the work of government from moving forward. If we can’t convince as a government, and I’ve said it repeatedly, if we can’t convince one of our social partners to support a particular action that the government wants to take or a particular law that the government wants to advance, then something is wrong. We should then take pause, go back to the table and discuss it further. So I fully support a thirteenth senator. I believe it is the way to go and the next P.U.P. government will certainly take that approach in strengthening the independence of the senate.”