THE amendment to the Constitution, which was debated in the Upper House yesterday, is intended to help bring it into the modern era.
So says Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Senator Dr. Jerome Walcott, who made the comments while leading off the debate on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2018 in the Upper House yesterday morning. The Bill, which was passed in the House of Assembly on Tuesday during its first sitting of the 2018-2023 term of Parliament, is intended to revise the qualifications for membership of the Senate; the provisions relating to disqualification for membership of the Senate and the Assembly; and the provision relating to vacancies in the office of the Leader of the Opposition. The amendment will allow three senators-designate Rawdon Adams, Kay McConney and Althea Wiggins – who, based on the current provisions of the Constitution, cannot serve in the Senate given that they have not resided in Barbados for 12 consecutive months – to be able to do so.
“Two senators proposed by the Honourable Prime Minister and one by Her Excellency the Governor General would be disqualified from sitting in this Honourable Chamber if the situation persisted without the necessary amendments to the Constitution. Mr. President three persons, three individuals who were born in Barbados; three individuals who grew up in Barbados [and] three individuals who attended primary and sec-ondary in Barbados. Three Barbadians who were socialised in Barbados, who speak the dialect, who have lifelong friends in Barbados and who indeed have family members in Barbados,” said Walcott, who is also Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.
With that in mind, he said they should not be penalised because they went away, as he noted that Barbadians’ ability to migrate has been something this country has been proud of from before the war days and has been seen ever moreso with the era of globalization. As such, he said the amendment would allow any Barbadian, 21 years and older, to qualify to be appointed to the Senate.
While calling it a straightforward amendment, but a significant one, Senator Walcott said the amendment will give all Barbadians who have a contribution to make, to be eligible to serve in the Senate. His comments came as he said he does not believe that those who wrote the Constitution expected it was carved in stone and would remain unchanged for eternity.
“I do not believe that it was their wish that Barbadians who have lived and studied and have done well overseas should be excluded from participating at the highest level in the development of this country,” he stated.
Walcott’s comments came as he noted that previous governments have been encouraging Barbadians living abroad to return and give of their experience, knowledge and economic resources to the country to assist in its development. Senator Walcott made reference to the recent manifesto of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP), ‘Building the Best Barbados Together’, in which he said it was noted that the BLP wants to deepen the involvement of the Barbadian Diaspora, stating that the Diaspora is an “untapped and underused asset” and as such, added that the BLP intends to make space for them to feel welcome and to facilitate their contribution to local society and economy, and to advance the country’s interest abroad through their networks, skills and resources.
“If we are saying at this point in this country’s development that persons are to be excluded from serving at the highest level to assist in the further development of this country, then Mr. President I think we are making a sad mistake,” he maintained.
Walcott therefore implored all senators to support the amendment. (JRT)