Parliament heads for recess

THE Parliament is expected to hold its final sittings this week before it takes its scheduled, fixed recess. According to Standing Order 11 and subject to Standing Order 13 of the House of Representatives "unless there are urgent or extraordinary reasons for doing so, no sitting of the House of Representatives shall be held from the first week in July to the first week in the month of September in any year."The Senate takes its recess during the same period, with provisions for the recess outlined in Standing Order 10 of the Senate and subject to Standing Order 12.

The Senate sits on Monday at the Red House from 10 am at the Red House. The main item on the agenda is debate on the Miscellaneous Amendments (2) Bill 2020. Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi will begin the debate on the bill which amends several pieces of legislation. These include the Defence Act. and the Conservation of Wild Life Act.

At clause 14 , the bill amends sections 5, 10, 85 and 191 of the Defence Act to allow for the addition of the Air Guard as a unit of the TT Defence Force (TTDF). This clause also gives the President and TTDF Chief of Staff to forbid a TTDF member from conducting their duties where there is an allegation aagausnt that person regarding an offence against any provision of the Act or a charge for a civil offence has been laid in a civil court against that person.

At clause 26, the bill amends the Conservation of Wild Life Act to increase the penalties for several offences. These include hunts in a game sanctuary, $10,000 to $100,000; hunting protected animals with out a special games license, $10,000 to $100,000, export of animals without permission, $10,000 to $100,000 and hunting during the close season, exercising dogs during close season, $10,000 to $100,000.

The House is scheduled to sit on Wednesday at the Red House from 1.30 pm. Earlier this month, the Prime Minister said Parliament will take its fixed recess on July 7 and that vacation lasts until September. Dr Rowley said, "The Parliament upon resumption will be prorogued in September. Once that occurs or before by an earlier writ, then the general elections must be called within 90 days.. In response to questions from Opposition MPs in the House recently, Rowley declined to name an election date. But he indicated that December is the latest period by which an election could be held.

.A People's National Movement (PNM) delegation led by chairman Colm Imbert met with Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) officials at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port of Spain on June 26 to discuss the "imminent 2020 general election" and other matters. In a statement on June 27, the PNM said it is satisfied that the EBC is taking "decisive action"to ensure the smooth facilitation of the voting process" for this year's general election while complying with public health regulations in place to deal with the covid19 pandemic.