Golding among MPs seeking Gov’t contracts exemption

NEWLY elected leader of the People’s National Party (PNP) Mark Golding is among four Members of Parliament (MPs) seeking exemption from having contractual agreements with Government bodies.

A leading Jamaican attorney, investment banker and politician, Golding is also a partner with Hart Muirhead Fatta, specialising in capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, and project finance. Golding, the Member of Parliament for St Andrew Southern, was elected president of the PNP on Saturday.
The others seeking exemptions are: Government MPs Mike Henry (Clarendon Central), who heads LMH Publishing; and newcomers Dwight Sibblies (Clarendon Northern), and Delroy Slowley (St Elizabeth North Eastern), who operates private businesses in their constituencies.

Section 41 of the Constitution of Jamaica requires that a Member of Parliament vacate his seat, if any firm in which he is a partner, or any company of which he is a director or manager, becomes party to a contract with the Government for, or on account of, the public service, or if he becomes a partner in a firm or a director or manager of a company which is a party to any such contract.

An MP may seek an exemption, based on a motion moved by the Leader of the House and referred to the Ethics Committee for approval. However, the MP must inform the committee in the event that he or she becomes a party to a Government contract.

The Ethics Committee, chaired by Speaker of the House Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert, is expected to meet in camera on Tuesday at Gordon House to discuss the requests. (Jamaica Observer)