Questions for Arnaldo Brown

THE EDITOR, Sir:

The Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is a public fund that is made available to all members of parliament to give them the ability to respond to the needs of their constituents.

It's what I refer to as 'ready money'. For this very reason, there must be a high level of transparency in its disbursement, and no MP should seek to prevent or block or restrict the media from disclosing information regarding the CDF.

Transparency and accountability are enhanced in highly facilitated communication environments whereby the stakeholders of a community/constituency are consulted and their views taken into consideration.

It follows, therefore, that a critical criterion for the disbursement of CDF money must be a consultative meeting with the community. I, therefore, must now ask Arnaldo Brown, the MP for East Central St Catherine, were these consultations done, more so given the fact that the constituency is a new one?

If these consultations were not done, how did he arrive at the point where these projects are submitted to the CDF? Where in the community are these projects located and what are they? When will a constituency consultative meeting be convened so that all in the constituency can participate, and not just a chosen few?

Last, I would like to publicly ask - and this directed to the CDF Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister - how much funds were made available to the three new MPs?

Mr MP, please give us hope that you will be different.

HOWARD HAMILTON

Portmore Pines