President Bharrat Jagdeo and Leader of the Opposition, Robert Corbin have sealed a raft of additional measures to build on recent talks including a mechanism to monitor the implementation of agreed tasks.
The agreements were reached when the leaders met on Wednesday to continue their discussions from last Friday.
One of the areas where they failed to reach agreement was on the composition of the Disciplined Forces Commission and a statement issued yesterday said that they are continuing their discussions on the issue. But they have agreed that the Commission would begin its work on July 1 and that two observers, one each selected by them - from internationally reputable organisations - may be accredited to the Commission.
The arrangements that are being put in place to monitor the implementation of their decisions include periodic meetings to review the progress being made and to make any necessary adjustments.
Other arrangements include the preparation by their representatives of an agreed Project Schedule of Matters to be executed. Their representatives will meet every fortnight to “review the progress of implementation, agree on follow-up action deemed necessary to ensure the smooth implementation of the matters agreed, dismantle bottlenecks in a timely fashion and brief the President and Leader of the Opposition on the current state and progress of implementation.”
The statement added that, “The High Representatives of the President and Leader of the Opposition will hold a periodic Stakeholders’ Briefing with representatives of the political parties, civil society, the diplomatic community and other national and international agencies to review progress and agree on any follow-up action which they agree is necessary to ensure the smooth implementation of the matters agreed within the Communiqué of 2003 May 6 and any other agreements since then.”
They also concurred that they would continue to explore additional mechanisms for monitoring implementation of their agreements. Observers see this agreement as vital as the previous dialogue between President Jagdeo and the late PNCR Leader Desmond Hoyte broke down over the question of the implementation of decisions which had been agreed.
With regard to Region 10 (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice), the statement said that a small team has been organised by the President to present a document to him within six weeks which brings together the various development programmes of the relevant government and other agencies.
The President and Corbin agreed to appoint “a joint team to ascertain whether the document represents a comprehensive development programme for Region 10.”
Other agreements reached relate to the work of the revived bipartisan committees on local government and depressed communities’ needs. They agreed that the co-chairpersons would submit joint fortnightly, written progress reports on the work of their committees. Also they agreed that “in the case of matters to be implemented by identified agencies/entities - National Policy on Land and House lots Distribution, Radio Monopoly and Non Partisan Boards, and Border and National Security Issues (including the Recapitalisation of the GDF) - the Minister or the Head of the agency or entity should also submit fortnightly reports on the progress of implementation of the matters for which they are responsible.”
The leaders also reviewed the arrangements for the effective functioning of parliament. They agreed that the Public Utilities Commission would be relocated from Public Buildings within two months (by July 31, 2003) and that the Parliamentary Management Committee (PMC) would prepare plans and cost estimates for the physical modification of Public Buildings to accommodate additional staff and facilities for the work of the Committees and the National Assembly as a whole. Once approved by the National Assembly, the plans and cost estimates are to be forwarded to the Head of the Presidential Secretariat for funding.
They agreed too that an Information Technology (IT) expert would be recruited shortly to determine and specify the short, medium and long-term IT needs of the National Assembly Office and as an interim measure, two computers with full Internet access would be immediately installed in the National Assembly library for use by parliamentarians.
They agreed that the recruitment of a Research Coordinator and other professional researchers which was agreed to in the May 6 Communiqué signed by the leaders should be expedited by the PMC. The statement said that the President and the Leader of the Opposition noted “the organisational chart for increasing the administrative capacity of the National Assembly Office has been approved by the Public Service Ministry and permission has been given for the additional staff to be recruited.”
“They also agreed that, taking account of the considerably increased workload and time commitments which are being imposed on MPs as a consequence of the Parliamentary and Constitutional reforms which are being implemented, their High
Representatives should present them with their recommendation for improving the remunerations of MPs”.
On a related matter the leaders agreed, that after reviewing the practices here and those obtaining in Barbados, Jamaica, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago and the United Kingdom, to institutionalise the Office of Leader of the Opposition by mid-August.
The National Development Strategy was another of the issues discussed and the two leaders agreed that the paper should be re-laid and subjected to a debate.
About one of their decisions related to constitutional reform, the statement said that the President and Corbin agreed to have their representatives prepare proposals for the remuneration and facilities for Commissioners appointed to Constitutional Commissions such as the Ethnic Relations, Public Procurement and Rights Commissions.
The statement said that they agreed that legislation on the Crossing of the Floor by Members of Parliament and to establish a permanent Elections Commission would be the subject of further consultations as well as ensuring that the spirit of the Constitution was not breached in the appointment of members of the Constitutional Commissions.