ST. LUCIA – Prime Minister the Right Honorable Sir John Compton with the backing of Members of Parliament appointed the first ever female Speaker of the House of Assembly.
Former Government Minister and Opposition Parliamentarian Mrs. Sarah Flood-Beaubrun is the first woman since the country attained independence in 1979 and youngest individual to preside over the house. Mrs. Beaubrun was sworn in Tuesday morning at the 9th session of the Parliament of Saint Lucia.
In accepting the position, the Speaker of the House thanked parliamentarians for supporting her appointment and welcomed the confidence placed in her to conduct the business of Parliament.
On the heels of the appointment of Mrs. Flood-Beaubrun was the appointment of another woman Dr. Rosemarie Husbands Mathurin as President of the Senate. This represented another first in Saint Lucia’s parliamentary life, bringing to three the number of women occupying the highest offices of government in Saint Lucia.
The two, Mrs. Flood-Beaubrun and Mrs. Husbands-Mathruin, joined the longest serving and first female Governor General Her Excellency Dame Pearlette Louisy.
In the Throne Speech, Her Excellency welcomed the Speaker of the House of Assembly and President of the Senate, saying their appointment is a proud achievement for Saint Lucia and demonstrates to the rest of the world that Saint Lucian women have “emerged from the shadows and have taken centre stage in the affairs of our nation and set an example to other.”
Meanwhile, Parliament, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister elected Honorable Marcus Nicholas the Parliamentary Representative for Dennery North as Deputy Speaker of the House. Honorable Nicholas who had previously been appointed a minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries resigned to take up the position.
The Prime Minister informed Parliament that an invitation to the Opposition Leader Dr Kenny D. Anthony to nominate a Deputy Speaker from the ranks of the Opposition had been declined.
The extension of such an invitation by Government to the Opposition is an unprecedented parliamentary courtesy aimed at building a bridge in a political chasm left by the recently held general elections. This would have set a precedent for the sharing of the responsibility for the conduct of parliament by Government and the Opposition. The Prime Minister said that in this regard a glorious opportunity had been missed and this was very much to be regretted.
