T&T President to face impeachment?

The Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago is expected to meet in an historic session to vote on whether it should set up a tribunal to investigate President George Maxwell Richards's conduct with respect to the appointment of an Integrity Commission.

The opposition is behind the move to oust Richards.

The Constitution allows the appointment of such a tribunal if two-thirds of the members of both houses agree to it. That means it's almost guaranteed to fail since the opposition lacks the support to force the matter.

There are only 15 opposition members in the lower house and six in the Senate. Even if all independent senators support the move the opposition would still need an additional 18 votes. Those votes would have to come from the government benches if the motion is to get parliamentary approval.

The matter reached the present stage because all opposition MPs signed the petition asking the Parliament to rule on the matter.

The controversy over the president erupted after the resignations of all five members of the Integrity Commission appointed by Richards.

One member resigned immediately on taking office, claiming the president had reneged on a promise to make him deputy chairman of the commission; another quit because he was not qualified to sit on the commission and the chairman handed in his resignation under a cloud of controversy. The two others members also left.

Since then the president has failed to appoint a new commission, claiming he cannot find anyone willing to serve.

The opposition claims that "The President has wilfully violated the Constitution and the law of the land, and behaved in such a way as to bring his office into hatred, ridicule and contempt within the meaning of section 35 A and B of the Constitution."

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