We met AG Michael Peyrefitte at today's special sitting of the Senate in Belmopan. The senators gathered to discuss 4 main topics. But the one that dominated was the appointment of Deshawn Arzu Torres as the new chairperson of the Integrity Commission. As we have reported, the former chairperson Marilyn Williams vacated that post and has taken up a seat on the Supreme Court bench.
NGO senator Osmany Salas was first to express that he wasn't all that impressed with Torres and that special consideration should have been taken to bring her in to be questioned …like.. in a job interview. Well, UDP Senators Herbert Panton and Michael Peyrefitte were not in agreement with his characterization of Torres nor his request for a cross- examination session. Here is that back and forth.
Hon. Osmany Salas, NGO Senator
"I do not know Ms. Deshawn Arzu Torres and through her CV alone, I did not know much else about Ms. Deshawn Arzu Torres and while I recognize that the chair-person of that commission is appointed by the Governor General and the advice of Prime Minister after consultation with the leader of the opposition, I also recognize and must mention that if the senate is not only meant to be a rubber stamp, we should have the opportunity to get to know the person that would fill that very important post."
"While the standing orders are silent on us as a senate having the opportunity to question the person to be appointed to fill the post."
"I felt that we could have created precedent because even though the request that I made to for Ms. Arzu-Torres to be invited to talk to us is not provided for in the standing orders likewise there is no expressed prohibition to invite her."
"So what did I do because I take my job seriously here as I am sure we all do, we should, I asked around, I called persons in the legal community who I felt would know her because I want to know her. What else did I do? I called Ms. Arzu Torres myself and I have to give her a lot of points for not only affording me the time to talk to her and being very courteous, I enjoyed our conversation. She is a very nice person."
"I realized as I spoke to her that the chairperson need to be more than just a nice person. The chairperson needs to be firm, needs to be fair."
"But I must say that I was a little disappointed. I was not convinced because if someone is appointed for a post the least in my mind that the persons should do, I am talking in general now at any commission is to know the legislation, at least try to find out what are the staffing issues. I was not convinced, I was not convinced."
Hon. Herbert Panton, UDP Senator
"It is one thing to speak of a conversation you have with a non-member outside of this chamber without having that member here to say yah or nay but it is quite another thing to speak negatively of that person...man you can't be speaking negatively of someone outside of this chamber without that person being here to defend himself, that is just plain uncouth."
Hon. Osmany Salas, NGO Senator
"I have said enough about that Mr. President and I will just end with a recommendation if I may call it that. I look forward to discuss this issue with my colleagues from this point forward but I do feel that an amendment of the standing orders should be considered or a revision of standing orders so that the senate can be expressly authorized to question person's whose appointments the senate is statutorily empowered to approve."
Hon. Michael Peyrefitte, UDP Senator
"Senator Salas then should have done exactly what was the last thing he said, if you have an issue with the standing orders then propose a change, why use this particular appointment to want to change it and summon someone to question them."
"Senator Salas I can't understand why you want to interview the person here maybe you watch too much TV what benefit would we get to bring a person to grill them and ask them what questions would be so different than you already asked them privately, for what? This is not the US senate where we bring people and grill them and there is action on TV and there is back and forth, no. That process has been done by the leader of the opposition and the Prime Minister and their teams."
"But, let me say this Mr. President it has been extremely difficult to find someone who is able and willing to be the chair of the integrity commission. Do we not want a person to be appointed to the position, do we want it or not, that is what we are saying. We found someone who nobody can question her integrity, nobody can question her competence and so we proposed that person and we are here today to confirm that person."
