KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, Feb. 22, IWN – Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace says he does not foresee the Unity Labour Party administration passing integrity legislation here.
Eustace made the point at a press conference on Wednesday, where he spoke of reported allegations by the BBC that Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves accepted a bribe from Dave Ames, chair of Harlequin.
Eustace noted that his New Democratic Party brought draft integrity legislation to Parliament, and added that Gonsalves seconded the motion “but never did anything”.
Asked if with the allegations of bribery, he foresees the government tabling integrity legislation, Eustace said, “Surely, that is a decision for them to make. I don’t see it, but that is a decision for them to make.
Eustace noted that on each of three occasions in the past when the Opposition had the right to table a motion in Parliament, the NDP presented its integrity legislation motion.
“… the last time, the Prime Minister seconded the motion raised by me,” Eustace said.
“And that motion included a draft of the legislation. It was not just a motion, [but] a motion with a draft of the legislation. And he (Gonsalves) seconded the motion but has done nothing; which tells me he does not intend to do anything about it,” Eustace said.
While campaigning ahead of the 2001 election, when the ULP was first elected to office, Sir Vincent Beache, a retired politician who was a minister under the ULP government, said that the ULP would have passed integrity legislation within its first 100 days in office.