Earl Moxam, Senior Gleaner Writer

EMBARRASSED BY the current state of the nation's Parliament building, two prominent business leaders have joined the call for quick action to improve the situation.

"Almost every time that I have been there ... you can't find a seat! It certainly is not adequate to accommodate the number of persons who are now showing an interest in parliamentary discussions", Karl James, general manager of Jamaica Cane Products Sales, told The Sunday Gleaner.

James, a former president of the Jamaica Exporters Association, was at Gordon House, by invitation, last Tuesday, to listen to the presentation of Cabinet member, Phillip Paulwell, in the Sectoral Debate.

'KOTCHING' ON A LEDGE

He, like many others who came for the occasion, had to resort to 'kotching' on a ledge at the back of the visitors' gallery, as the seats in the cramped facility had been taken.

On the other side of the 44-year-old building, in the 'press box', members of the media were literally stepping on each other in their scramble for seats and an input for their tape recorders.

To address the problem, Beverly Lopez, president of the Private Sector Organisations of Jamaica (PSOJ), is calling for follow-through on the recommendation of the committee chaired by her predecessor, Oliver Clarke. The Clarke Committee, in its 2003 report, cited the need to construct a new Parliament building and called for the establishment of a group to lobby for the new building.

"Clearly nothing has happened other than we have a report, which is the usual thing ... and that is one of the problems we have ­ how do we implement recommendations that are good for the country?" Mrs. Lopez complained.

The notion of constructing a new Parliament building has long been mooted, but has not received universal support, with parliamentarians looking over their shoulders at sceptical constituents, questioning the wisdom of spending the substantial sums of money required.

That, according to Mrs. Lopez, is a "shortsighted" approach. "How then are you going to engender good governance and how are you going to engender politicians to be responsible and hold them to the fire?" she asked.

Mike Henry, a veteran MP for the opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), is suggesting a short-term compromise, which would see the existing Parliament building on Duke Street, Kingston, being significantly expanded, with a domed walkway over the street into the additional space.

Three-term Government M.P. Dr. Paul Robertson shares Henry's proposal for the expansion of Gordon House in the short-term.