Opposition Senate saga fizzles - Bunting to take seat in Upper House
Published:Saturday | December 12, 2020 | 12:18 AM
At the next meeting of the Upper House, Peter Bunting is expected to take the oath of allegiance and take his seat as leader of Opposition business in the Senate, filling the eighth and final position on the Opposition benches.
Former treasurer of the PNP Norman Horne had stalled the process after he was nominated to the Senate by former Opposition Leader Peter Phillips, but could not take up the appointment as he remained a citizen of the United States.
Yesterday, King’s House wrote to Opposition Leader Mark Golding, advising him that a vacancy exists in the Senate to be filled by a member of the Opposition.
Opposition Senator Lambert Brown told The Gleaner yesterday that he was happy that the way was now clear for the Senate to be fully constituted.
Brown said he was looking forward to working with Bunting in the Upper House, noting that they have worked together in other areas in the party.
With the PNP beset by divisiveness and bitter conflicts, Brown said there was the need for unity within the party, adding that “it can’t unite on the basis of consolidating factions, so we have to work together.
“There is a unity committee within the party, so we have to look to bring all sides together as we go forward to tackle the problems facing the country,” Brown asserted.
Lengthy discussions
In a release yesterday, the PNP said that Golding has advised Governor General Sir Patrick Allen that Bunting was his pick for the vacant seat so that the full complement of Opposition senators is established.
Meanwhile, in a statement yesterday, Horne said his decision to decline his nomination to the Senate was made after lengthy discussions with family and close friends.
Turning to his status as a US citizen, Horne said that the process of renunciation of foreign citizenship can be a lengthy exercise further complicated by COVID-19 protocols.
“As occurred with a former PNP senator in 2012, it is common practice that the renunciation process is completed following the appointment to the Senate,” he said.
“After the announcement that there would have been elections for a new party leader, I indicated that I would give the new leader a free hand.
“I decided at that time not to further pursue renunciation. Despite my deliberately not having taken the oath, I was remiss in not delivering my resignation letter to the governor general in keeping with my statement.”