Opposition Leader Edward Seaga (left) and Prime Minister P.J. Patterson on their way to yesterday's Vale Royal Summit. - Rudolph Brown/Staff Photographer LEADERS OF the two major political parties attending their second summit at Vale Royal yesterday agreed that more funds should be dedicated to the development of the housing stock.
Also, it was agreed that existing sources of funding for constituency projects should be merged into a single mechanism. The main sources of funding for such projects are the Local Development Programme, the Social and Economic Support Programme and the Lift-Up Jamaica programme.
According to a joint communiqué issued after the three-hour meeting among representatives of the People's National Party and the Jamaica Labour Party, Auditor-General Adrian Strachan will be asked to devise a "precise mechanism for the amalgamated funding arrangement."
This mechanism will seek to ensure: strict systems of accountability and monitoring; equitable allocation for all constituencies; expenditure for prescribed categories, namely social, cultural and welfare; approval and determination of projects and levels of funding by a broad- based group involving recognised organisations in each constituency.
Yesterday's meeting followed the November 1 summit, also at Vale Royal, the Prime Minister's official residence. Following that meeting, several sub-committees were set up to continue the dialogue.
The sub-committee, co-chaired by Donald Buchanan, Water and Housing Minister, and Audley Shaw, JLP Spokesman on Finance, has been instructed to do further work in arriving at a formal liaison mechanism which allows Members of Parliament to have constituency projects included in the annual budget submissions.
It was agreed, as requested by the JLP, that an Opposition member will chair the Parliamentary Ethics Committee. The possibility of a merger of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee with the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is being considered. The Appropriations Committee is chaired by a Government MP while an Opposition MP chairs the PAC.
Both sides are to consider a formula for the composition of the Internal and External Affairs Committee involving equal membership except for the chairman. "The chairman will be appointed on the basis of that person commanding mutual respect from the Government and Opposition sides," the communiqué said.
The process of constitutional reform was also discussed at yesterday's meeting. The sub-committee set up to oversee the process will work to iron out differences pertaining to the Charter of Rights Bill which is being expanded to increase the rights Jamaicans have under the Constitution. Also, it will consider and propose a working consultative framework for arriving at an agreement on the terms of reference and membership of Commissions of Enquiry on matters of national importance and or controversial issues.
Prime Minister P.J. Patterson led the Government team and JLP Leader Edward Seaga, the Opposition team, at yesterday's meeting. Both were accompanied by senior members of their parties. The next meeting will be in January.
