Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday yesterday called on the Government to defer amendments to legislation to assist CL Financial until Government implemented an assistance plan for Hindu Credit Union depositors, as it had done for CL Financial. Panday delivered a impassioned appeal for this, refusing to support the amendments under scrutiny, as the House of Representatives took legislation to assist CL Financial through its final stages yesterday. The Lower House met in a short session— until 3 pm—to finalise amendments made to the Central Bank Act and Insurance Act which were made during the Senate’s marathon sitting on the bills on Thursday.

Government’s bid to pass the legislation which began in a special session on Monday, eventually ended around 2.30 pm yesterday when the amendments to the bills were all passed including with the Senate’s changes. Members briefly debated the Senate’s changes to Clauses 3,5, 7, 8 and 10 of the Insurance Act. These involved words and phrases in the Act. However, during the start of that process, Panday rose to state that he would not support the amendments. “Government must give an undertaking that HCU depositors will be treated in the same way as Clico depositors and we must defer these amendments until such time,” Panday declared.

“I will never give the Government any support whatever on these bills until they treat the citizens of this country equally and I want that before I give any support to these amendments,” Panday added with great fervour and in booming tones. Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira said the amendments did not add to or take away from the bills, but only merely clarified sections. Prime Minister Patrick Manning, throwing picong at Panday, remarked: “Only gallery...” Panday and Manning later went behind the Speaker’s chair for discussions. Other UNC MPs, including Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj and Chandresh Sharma, made short statements on the other amendments which were approved around 2.30 pm. The House ended at 3 pm, following a statement by UNC’s Subhas Panday on woes suffered by Legal Aid attorneys.