Eustace holding firm to his decision

Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace has reiterated his position that he is not prepared to go to a select committee and will instead continue to call for the proposed amendment to the Representation of the People Act to be withdrawn from the House.{{more}}

Eustace said on the New Times programme yesterday that he considered this move to be a “backward step.”

“It is inconsistent with the position that we had taken,” Eustace said.

He initially made the comment during a public meeting at Heritage Square on Tuesday, March 1.

At that meeting, the Opposition Leader made it clear that he would not go to the select committee and that he wanted the Bill withdrawn from the Parliament.

“I am not going to no select committee and discuss nothing,” he continued, saying that the majority of the people on the select committee will be ministers of government.

And although the process of selecting the committee includes the naming of persons by the government and opposition teams, Eustace further contended that the Government had the majority.

He added that an additional five persons who are not members of the House were eligible to sit on the select committee, but were ineligible to vote.

He was of the opinion that the process could go on for months depending on the frequency with which the Government conducted meetings.

“We are not going to debate anything like that, we want the Bill withdrawn in the Parliament,” Eustace said.

He explained that working on behalf of the people was serious business.

“It is not an easy thing, very often you have to make decisions which are not popular,” he told his supporters.

“You must have a clear mind, must have a conscience and you must have the confidence to know that what you are doing is in the interest of the people who elected you to Parliament.”

Eustace said members of Parliament need to be well-informed on issues and that politicians often needed to make important decisions.

“We have determined that, in this case, the only thing in the interest of the people is to have the Bill withdrawn and that is what we will be working towards,” Eustace said. (DD)