In a recent debate in Jamaica’s House of Representatives, Dr. Dayton Campbell, the Opposition Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Eastern, raised concerns about the Executive branch’s dominance over the legislature. The debate centered on a motion to appoint members to sessional committees, introduced by Floyd Green, the Leader of Government Business. Green also announced the chairmen of these committees, a move the Opposition claims violates Parliament’s Standing Orders. Phillip Paulwell, the Leader of Opposition Business, emphasized that committee chairmen should be elected by members during their first meeting, as per the Standing Orders. The Opposition argued that the Government’s actions risk undermining the separation of powers, reducing transparency and accountability. Campbell, however, took a unique stance, highlighting the differences between Jamaica’s parliamentary system and the UK’s Westminster model. He noted that Jamaica’s smaller Parliament, with only 63 MPs, makes it easier for the Executive to dominate. Campbell pointed out that in the UK, with 650 MPs, the Executive does not overshadow the legislature to the same extent. He attributed the current issue to the majority of Government MPs being appointed to the Executive, leaving only five on the back benches. This imbalance, Campbell argued, is the root of the problem. The appointment of committee chairmen has been contentious since 2020, when Prime Minister Andrew Holness broke tradition by appointing Government members to chair most sessional committees, except for the Public Accounts Committee and the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee, which remain under Opposition control.