The Petrocaribe Loans bill was debated after the budget - and that debate finished just a few minutes ago - ending a 10 and a half hour day in the house of representatives. The bill seeks to regularize the inflows from the Petrocaribe initiative. While all loans of a certain size have to go to the house, Government argues that since the Petrocaribe flows change every month - it cannot ask for pre-approval of a figure it does not know. This bill seeks to correct that.
But the PUP says it seeks to give the Prime Minister superpowers to keep the oversight of the petrocaribe funds away form parliament. One hour ago - this is what the leading crusader against the bill Julius espat had to say:..
Hon. Julius Espat
"What the Prime Minister is doing today, is what he should have done from the beginning, except giving him this super human power this authority to override accountability. That is the part I have a problem with. If he would have brought this bill from the beginning, authorizing him to spend or borrow the money, we would not be having this quarrel right now, but he did. He not only did it, he took 3 years before he came to try to justify it. Not 2 months, 3 months, 4 months - a year.... 3 years. But what this bill cannot do and he knows it more than I do, is that he cannot legitimized the errors that he did in the past or the illegalities that he did in the past with this bill. He will pass right now and as the Honorable Dolores said, but he will continue. Our attorneys will continue... we will continue to prove that what you did in the past was illegal, Prime Minister."
The Prime Minister just wrapped up the debate 10 minutes ago - and we'll have highlights of his final rebuttal on Monday's newscast.
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