Attorney-at-Law Roysdale Forde being considered for House Speaker

Last Updated on Friday, 29 May 2015, 18:54 by GxMedia

by Zena Henry

The new Administration has a few more matters to address as they settle in to their new positions of leadership before the reopening of the Parliament, but it is expected that this will be done before June 4 or June 11 to facilitate the seating of the Eleventh Session.

The government is hoping for the earliest June 4, but this has not been finalized, Alliance for Change (AFC) General Secretary and Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson explained.  The AFC is the second largest party in the six –team Coalition that won the 2015 General and Regional Elections over the 23-year seated People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

With just a few more days to go before the expected reopening, the AFC is touting Attorney-at-Law Roysdale Forde to Head the National Assembly. Patterson said that the party has expressed confidence in him and has formally proposed him to sit at the head of the House.

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has not yet put forward their suggestion for Speaker, but did not seem too resistant of Forde.  APNU’s General Secretary and Minister of State, Joseph Harmon said that the APNU has to meet before anyone is put forward and a decision is taken.

Police Legal Advisor and Former Justice of Appeal, Claudette Singh was another name that came up for the Speaker post, but none of the parties has acknowledged her.

The Speaker is chosen after the government, which holds the Parliamentary majority agrees on that person. The Speaker will then be sworn in on the first sitting of the National Assembly. It was expressed that apart from naming the Speaker, there are other minor matters to be finalized, if not before June 4, no later than the 11.