This afternoon at 2:00 in Belmopan, the Senate met as usual to consider bills brought forward from Friday's House Meeting. But while that was the business as usual, the media gallery was full because of a motion introduced by PUP Senator Lisa Shoman. She wants the senate to appoint a Special Select Committee to investigate the issuance of passports, visas and nationality certificates at the Immigration Department. Today she presented the motion at the senate and it was enthusiastically supported by the three social partner senators for business, labour and the churches. The meeting finished at 6:00 pm and ou team is on the way back with highlights of the session, but we can tell you that the motion did not succeed. Now, there's some dispute as to whether it was defeated or whether there was a 6 – 6 ties, but for sure, it did not pass. It was put to a vote and the six senators for the government voted no, while the 6 opposition and the social partners voted yes. The president sought to break the 6 – 6 tie with his casting vote, but the PUP Senator Lisa Shoman told him that the constitution bars him from using his casting vote on such a motion. He seemed confused, and then the leader of Government business moved for the adjournment and the meeting ended on that desultory note. Senator Shoman insists it ended in a tie. Whatever the case, as we said, it still did not pass. We'll have all that for you a little later in the news as our team is coming back from Belmopan at this hour.
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