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Senator-Designate Wants Meeting Pushed Back To 20th
Mon, January 16, 2017
The commencement order for the 13th. Senator takes effect on Friday, one day after the Senate meets. And while many had expected that Osmany Salas would have been sworn in on that day, according to the Leader of Government Business, Senator Godwin Hulse, one thing doesn't necessarily follow the other. He put that timeline until some time in March.

Today, we met Salas at an event and he told us that the way he sees it, he should be sworn in on January 20. He adds that Thursday's Senate meeting should be postponed until after he takes his seat - since they will debate the NGO Amendment Bill:

Osmany Salas
"The way we look at it, there is absolutely no reason why I shouldn't be sworn in as early as the 20th January when the commencement order takes effect. There is no reason to delay it. Our NGO community has sent a letter to the Governor General last week informing him about the process that was followed, informing the Governor General that I was elected, requesting the Governor General as to the relevant section of the constitution that I be I guess formally appointed and sworn in as the senator representing the NGO community. That should be able to happen as of January 20th."

"I need to mention as well that we see no reason why there needs to be a senate meeting before the 20th. We have asked and we have addressed the communication to the president of the senator Hon. Li Mark Chang to postpone the senate meeting until after I am sworn in. In particular if a topic on the NGOs will be on the agenda for the senate session. It just makes absolute common sense for the NGO representative to participate."

"So we have made a request. I have also reached out to other senators from government's side, from PUP side and from the social partner side - asking them to support us in that request."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Sir, have you all seen or have had a look at the NGO act amendment that they are suggesting?"

Osmany Salas
"Yeah, I have seen it. It didn't come to me from official sources, but I have seen a copy and I don't see any major concerns with it. I think it amounts to basic housekeeping ensuring that the NGOs must be registered under the act to do the work of NGOs and to benefit from - if there are any tax break from under the act. So I think that's appropriate. But there is nothing there that would disallows me from being sworn in by January 20th or right after."

As you heard in our interview, Salas said that he has reached out to the other Senators to try to convince Senate President Lee Mark Chang to postpone the January 19the meeting. He told us that the Opposition and the Social Partner Senators have responded in support of that course of action, but appears that the January 19th Senate meeting will go ahead as planned. This evening, the Clerk of the National Assembly sent out the usual Senate notice, which confirms that nothing has changed, and that the Senate will meet on Thursday, as planned.

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