Hinds questions timing, Belle says parliamentary reform commission is needed

Two prominent political scientists have taken different positions on the Government’s decision to establish a commission to review the structure and function of Parliament.

While the current Head of the Department of Government, Sociology, Social Work and Psychology at the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Dr Kristina Hinds has suggested the timing is not right, Dr George Belle, who previously served in that position at the university, said the commission was necessary.

Attorney General Dale Marshall announced at a post-Cabinet media conference last Friday that an eight-member Parliamentary Reform Commission (PRC) will provide recommendations on how the legislature could be transformed to better suit the country’s needs. He stressed that the body, headed by former President of the Senate Dr Richard Cheltenham, KC, would not replace the Constitution Reform Commission (CRC).

Dr Hinds questioned the timing of the creation of the new commission, saying that it should have come after the CRC completes its work and there was at least a draft Constitution on the table.

“We don’t know what the constitution of the Houses of Parliament will be. We don’t know if you will end up with one House rather than two. We don’t know if you will have two elected Houses. We really do not know what will come out of the Constitution Reform Commission and for that reason, I think that this parliamentary reform should come after,” she told Barbados TODAY.

However, Dr Belle argued that there are occasions, such as this, when the experts are required.

“I have no problem…although I have heard the argument that something is there already and therefore you don’t need something else…. I have no problem with this specialised group going in to deal with the parliamentary reform. I think that it is necessary and required,” he said.

The political scientist said he was certain this move by the Government would enhance governance in due course.

“I think it will improve the overall result that will come out eventually,” Dr Belle told Barbados TODAY.

Marshall said the PRC will “review what Parliament is, how it functions, whether or not it can be better made up, whether or not we should have an Upper House or Lower House, whether or not we should have parliamentarians elected by all of Barbados rather than just constituencies”. The Sir Richard-led commission will also include veteran retired trade unionist Sir Roy Trotman, who is deputy chair; Ambassador Elizabeth Thompson; noted cardiologist Dr Richard Ishmael; historian and attorney-at-law Professor Velma Newton; columnist William Chandler; former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade under the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Maxine McClean and Corrie Beckles of the former Opposition People’s Party for Democracy and Development (PdP).

The AG said he hoped that within six months the commission would be able to consider all of the issues, have public hearings and submit a report to Cabinet for consideration.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb