New speaker demands decorum
Published:Wednesday | July 13, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Edmond Campbell, Senior Staff Reporter
NEWLY APPOINTED speaker of the House of Representatives, Marisa Dalrymple Philibert, has urged her parliamentary colleagues to observe the Standing Orders of Parliament, even in the face of rigorous debate.
Following her rise to the position in the House yesterday, Dalrymple Philibert pledged to exercise her duties with equity.
"I recognise that as parliamentarians, every member of this House has a right to robust debate, but I say very clearly at this point, as I seek to carry out my role, that I expect that each member will do so with absolute respect for the Standing Orders and with the dignity and the decorum that is required of each of us as members of this House," she cautioned.
Before the first-term MP took her seat, she went through the usual parliamentary ritual whereby three of her colleagues seemingly applied force to muscle her out of her seat and march her towards the speaker's chair while she exhibited a show of resistance.
Overwhelmed by the moment, the new House Speaker, who was saluted by House Marshal Keith Henry after he set the Mace in place, appeared to have forgotten to invite the House to be seated, creating an uneasy stir.
However, the House quickly settled down and the new speaker thanked Prime Minister Bruce Golding for his support and her constituents for electing her to represent them in Parliament.
She also thanked her predecessor, Delroy Chuck, for mentoring her for the three years she acted as his deputy.
Leader of Government Business of the House, Andrew Holness, and his opposition counterpart Michael Peart congratulated the new speaker on her promotion.
St Mary South Eastern MP Tarn Peralto was selected as the deputy House speaker.
Prior to the selections, opposition members called for St Catherine South West MP Everald Warmington to sit in the speaker's chair.
However, the controversial MP said he did not want the speaker's position as he did not intend to be muzzled in the House.