Dems barely secure vote

IT WAS A CLOSE CALL.
The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) administration came a vote shy of not being able to pass two money resolutions in the House of Assembly last Friday night, as debate on the Appropriations Bill came to a close.
In the end, the new DLP Government was able to break a 14-14 tie just before 9 p.m. when Chairman of Committees James Paul voted “aye” for a 15-14 majority.
Paul was presiding instead of the Speaker because the House was in Committee of Supply, which votes on Government’s expenditure plans, including supplementaries.
The money resolutions, totalling $30.1 million, concerned the Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC) – to pay off a bond issue – and the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) – to pay debts owed at the end of the last financial year. (BA)