The issue of conflict of interest has been in the news over the last few weeks, especially in the light of the disclosure by one of the media houses that the Alliance for Change (AFC) Chairman is also the Company Secretary of the Amaila Falls Hydro Inc., the company that was set up to manage the construction and operations of the Hydro Project. The AFC had initially voted against: (a) an amendment to the Hydro Electric Act to protect the surrounding area in which the project is located; and (b) a motion to lift the ceiling for the Government guarantee of loans to public entities to facilitate the proposed Power Purchase Agreement between the AFH Inc. and GPL for the supply of electricity. It had cited, among others, the high cost of the project arising out of the mix of financing as well as inadequate information to enable it to make an informed decision.
Some three weeks later, the two draft pieces of legislation were re-tabled in the National Assembly. This time,
