- Article 36 of the Constitution of Saint Lucia ensures that the Deputy Speaker position will never remain vacant
By Caribbean News Global contributor
CASTRIES, St Lucia – Following the resignation of Jeremiah Norbert, member of parliament for Micoud North as deputy speaker to the House of Assembly, on February 27, 2024, Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre minister for finance, economic development and the youth economy and minister for justice and national security on Monday, March 4, 2024, appointed Jeremiah Norbert, MP, the first minister for crime prevention and persons with disability, in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).
At the sitting of the House of Assembly on March 19, 2024, the parliamentary representative for Vieux Fort South, Dr Kenny David Anthony, was nominated by Prime Minister Pierre and elected unopposed as deputy speaker.
Dr Anthony is well decorated with the trappings of a legal luminary, eminent member of parliament since 1997 and served three terms as prime minister. Most recently, Dr Anthony served as a government backbencher and member of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) in Haiti.
What’s the thinking?
“It has always been the policy and the philosophical position, of the government to follow the Constitution. We promised the electorate that when in government we would ensure that there is a deputy speaker. We kept our promise and we caused that promise to be put in the Constitution of Saint Lucia,” Prime Minister Pierre reiterated.
“The deputy speaker at that time, Jeremiah Norbert, MP, was selected by me to be a minister of government and he had to resign from the deputy speaker position.
“I informed the public that at the next sitting of this honourable House, we would elect a new deputy speaker who may or may not be a member of the House. It is my privilege to nominate Dr Kenny David Anthony as deputy speaker of the House.”
The Constitution
The urgency to fill the vacancy of deputy speaker is in accordance with March 7, 2023, following legislators’ approval to amend the Constitution, in order to ensure the post of deputy speaker is compulsorily occupied and any vacancy thereafter is filled.
In tabling the motion, Prime Minister Pierre noted that the Bill was intended to shield the Constitution from abuse and uphold its integrity.
“This constitutional amendment is to end the violation of Article 36 of the constitution that has taken place for more than five years in this honourable house,” declared PM Pierre, at [the] House sitting [on 7 March].
[…] Consequently, as per the amendment, the deputy speaker may be elected from either the members of the House who are not members of [the cabinet] or parliamentary secretaries or among persons who are not members of the House. […]
The amended Article 36 of the Constitution of Saint Lucia ensures that the deputy speaker position will never remain vacant and that the business of the people of Saint Lucia in the lower house of parliament is conducted in conformity with the Constitution; and in alignment with the standing orders of the House of Assembly.
From PM – finance minister to backbencher to deputy speaker
The acceptance and reorganisation of Dr Anthony to the deputy speaker designation leads one to believe that the strengthening of the speakers’ chair is protuberant to the relevance of the political, fitness and governance fortification of the government.
Observers contend that as deputy speaker, Dr Anthony has another opportunity to make a more meaningful and focused contribution/representation for Vieux Fort South.
On matters of law, the constitution and oblique references lead one to believe there is a new and direct path to reasoning, and to making right matters lost in translation.
As the new deputy speaker, despite 27 years of representation, and as a three-term prime minister “ never be surprised at what happens in politics” – revitalisation is never impossible, hitherto, eye and ears are retooled – “walls have ears.”
