Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter
Opposition Leader Bruce Golding makes his contribution to the 2006/2007 Budget Debate at Gordon House yesterday. - RUDOLPH BROWN/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
OPPOSITION LEADER Bruce Golding yesterday rolled out a host of proposals for how Government should seek to curb corruption, uphold human rights, address the nation's economic woes and implement constitutional reform.
Mr. Golding laid out his recommendations during a three-hour long contribution to the 2006/2007 Budget Debate at Gordon House.
Making his second budget contribution since becoming Opposition Leader under the theme 'Give the People A Chance,' Mr. Golding called for Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller to make good on her promise to fight corruption by providing the Corruption Prevention Commission with adequate staff and funds to carry out its function.
But the Opposition Leader also pointed out that corruption in the public sector could not be stamped out without the necessary laws to support it.
"Neither the Criminal Investigation Division of the police force nor the Director of Public Prosecutions can serve as effective quarter-backs in tracking down those engaged in corruption," Mr. Golding said.
He brought a proposal for the establishment of a Special Prosecutor back on the table, explaining that that individual would function under the constitutional authority of the DPP with the special responsibility of directing investigations and prosecutions of persons involved in corruption.
"Assign the necessary police investigators to that office and let him function as a corruption czar to hound down those leaches and racketeers who are plundering the public purse and institutionalising a culture of bandooluism, let us deal with it!" the Opposition Leader said to desk thumping from colleagues on his side of the aisle.
Mr. Golding said action needed to be taken against four Parliamentarians (three former and one current) who have been referred to the DPP by the Integrity Commission for failure to declare their assets from as far back as 2003.
"The public will never have confidence in the system of Government until we demonstrate to them that those in high places who breach the laws designed to prevent corruption will find themselves sharing the same prison cell with the pickpocket and housebreakers," he said.
On the award of Government contracts, Mr. Golding proposed that laws be established to ensure that any escalation of the original contract sum awarded by the National Contracts Commission must have the Commission's prior approval.
On the issue of human rights abuses, he proposed bilateral talks with the Prime Minister to resolve the outstanding issues in establishing a Charter of Rights.
He also recommended the appointment of a Special Coroner who would be responsible for conducting coroner's inquests in those cases of death where agents of the state may be involved.
The Opposition Leader was critical of the Office of the Public Defender, which he claimed should be an aggressive adversary defending the cause of the poor whose constitutional rights have been violated.
Mr. Golding also threw his support behind the consolidation of statutory deductions, but said he was not in favour of any suggestion that Government could then split the funds as it sees fit.
"Let me issue a warning to the Government, keep your sticky hands off poor people's NIS money and Housing Trust money. Let me tell you if you try to touch it, it a go be bangarang!" he said. "Or let me tell them in language that they will understand, forget it!"
Other Golding proposals:
Establish independent authority to investigate abuse by members of the security forces.
Overhaul libel laws.
Constitutional reform.
Re-engineering of the Westminster system with constitutional limits on debt and deficit.
Fixed election date.
Transforming garrison politics.
