Parliament to sit on May 23

PARLIAMENT will meet next week Friday, May 23, according to an online report by CNC3 citing Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

Sources in Parliament told Newsday on May 14 that they had heard similar but were still awaiting an official proclamation of the opening of Parliament, to be issued by President Christine Kangaloo.

Newsday called President's House to pose the questions, getting a promise to "revert" – that is, to reply to Newsday – once the information was known.

Meanwhile Parliament sources told Newsday that if a new parliament begins next week, the sitting would involve the selection of a Speaker and Senate President plus the selection of nine independent senators by the President, six opposition senators by Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles and seven more government senators (to bring the government's total to 16, on top of nine already named as ministers and senators.) In the House of Representatives, individuals will be designated as the leader of government business plus opposition chief whip, while the Senate will gain a leader of government business and an opposition senate leader.

On April 28, the UNC coalition of interests won the general election, winning 26 seats compared to two won by the Tobago-based TPP and 13 won by the PNM.

It also has to be determined if the TPP will enter any agreement to vote with the UNC on legislation, which will give the government a two-thirds special majority to pass new laws which happen to be inconsistent with certain civil liberties set down in the Constitution.

Attorney General John Jeremie, SC, recently told Newsday that he would be able to lay out his legislative agenda once government ministers had been appointed and he has had the opportunity to consult with them.

With Persad-Bissessar having made news headlines with her campaign phrase "empty the clip" – advocating a right to self-defence for home-owners – the government's legislative agenda is expected to prominently feature "stand-your-ground" and "home invasion" laws.