The House of Representatives will resume on Tuesday, following a three-week break to accommodate the participation of MPs in the November 28 Local Government Election.

There was some speculation as to whether the House would resume this week or next week, but the issue seems resolved and the agenda for Tuesday will emerge from today’s Cabinet meeting.

The Senate resumed last Friday with senators focusing on the death of former Cuban President Fidel Castro. But, they also passed long-delayed amendments to the Income Tax (Amendment) Act, which seeks to continue the incentives provided under the Jamaica’s Junior Stock Exchange.

The Bill ensures that the junior stock market maintains benefits to member companies, including a 10-year-period tax break where no corporate tax is paid for the first five years, and 50 per cent of the prevailing rate is paid in the next five years. Companies also have access to capital, resulting from preferential treatment from the banks. The Bill was passed by the House of Representatives on October 18.

However, with the funeral of Castro approaching and the interest shown by both Government and Opposition, it was not surprising that the debate leading to the adjournment not only favoured positive recollections of the late Cuban leader, but also gave the older members a chance to recall personal experiences with him, here and in Havana, as well as younger and less-familiar senators an opportunity to raise issues.

Opposition Senator K D Knight led the way for the elder members, recalling experiences during both his tenure as minister of national security and justice, as well as minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade.

Knight recalled Castro’s inclusiveness in seeking to involve neighbouring countries in deals he made with the cold war eastern bloc. He said that, on that basis, he would describe him as “a Caribbean man”.

He recalled that the Cuban leader always travelled clandestinely with two jet aircraft, so no one knew which plane he would land in.

He also recalled an episode in Jamaica when he was required to introduce Castro to former Prime Minister Edward Seaga for a meeting. However, the Cuban leader wanted a one-on-one meeting, to which the Jamaican leader disagreed.

He said, however, that while travelling with Castro to the meeting, he raised the issue of whether it could be a one-in-one meeting or not, to which the visiting leader responded:

“No, no. Who said that. I don’t mind meeting with Mr Seaga and whomsover he wishes.”

Knight said he learnt that Castro changed his mind because he did not want a confrontation with Seaga, although he felt that Seaga wanted to lure him into a setting to reprimand him. He said that the staff of both Castro and Seaga met and settled the matter. Castro explained the whole episode to Knight as they drove to the assignment in the Cuban leader’s Mercedes Benz.

“So, I saw a side of this man, whom you see as this awesome person, whom you would never believe would even be going in that direction,” he added.

“Fidel was a great man. He had spoken about being absolved by history; in my own view, this is very personal, but history has absolved him,” Senator Knight concluded.

Speaking on behalf of the Government, young Senator Matthew Samuda raised a number of issues which he admitted he had read about Castro, being a member of another generation.

“Though I wasn’t alive for much of his tenure in office, he has certainly made a mark on me and, I believe, everyone else in this chamber,” Samuda said.

“One thing is certain,” Senator Samuda acknowledged, “he was a champion for justice”.

He said he had learnt that Castro was a good cook, and that wearing his beard was of much more significance than a symbol of a guerrilla leader.

“He had practical reasons for that, apparently. Exploring that if you calculate 15 minutes a day to shave your beard, that would be over 5,000 minutes a year shaving. Castro said he would rather spend this time on more important activities,” Senator Samuda said.

Senate President Tom Tavares-Finson pointed out that he had been to Cuba for the memorial service for Castro last week. Speaker of the House of Representatives Pearnel Charles, as well as Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller also attended.

He said that he was pleased to see both Government and Opposition representatives at the event, as well as welcomed the decision to fly flags at half mast in honour of Castro.

“It was a remarkable experience for me,” Senator Tavares-Finson said.