Damion Mitchell, News Coordinator - Radio

Leader of Government Business in the House of Representatives, Dr. Peter Phillips, says he expects that the Sunset Legislation to facilitate the staging of Cricket World Cup 2007 will be debated and passed in Parliament on Tuesday.

At the same time, Leader of Opposition Business in the House, Derrick Smith, says while the Opposition is prepared to participate in the debate, it will not support the proposed legislation if some related concerns are not addressed.

ICC guidelines

Under International Cricket Council (ICC) guidelines, the laws must be enacted by November 1 to allow for the staging of the Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean from March to April.

But of the nine countries hosting the sporting event, only Barbados and St. Kitts have passed the Sunset Legislation.

Speaking on Good Evening Jamaica on Power 106 FM, Dr. Phillips said he was confident the bill would be passed in Parliament next week.

In fact, Dr. Phillips, who is also the National Security Minister, says he would be forgoing a meeting of CARICOM's Council of National Security Ministers to participate in the debate.

"I'm expecting that it will proceed without controversy," he said.

The bill for the Sunset Legislation must also be passed in the Senate before it can become law.

sponsorship concerns

Meanwhile, the Opposition's Derrick Smith says there are some concerns regarding sponsorship, which must be addressed in the debate. The concerns include the restrictions to the items that can be sold ahead of and during the World Cup if there is a conflict with sponsors; and the provisions for visitors entering one host country to be deemed as having satisfied the Customs Regulations in other host countries.

"The Opposition surely is not going to compromise in any way Jamaica's best interest," he said.

More than two weeks ago the Sunset Legislation was tabled in Gordon House. However, deliberations on the bill were postponed to facilitate the debate on a no-confidence motion the Opposition brought against the Government.

On Wednesday, Chris Dehring, the executive director of the ICC West Indies 2007, told a Gleaner Editors' Forum that the region could lose the opportunity to host the sporting event if the laws were not passed in the remaining seven countries by November 1.