Former Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony is the new Deputy Speaker of the Lower House of Assembly.
Dr. Anthony was nominated by Prime Minister Philip J Pierre at yesterday’s sitting of the House. The nomination was seconded by Tourism Minister Dr. Ernest Hilaire.
Another nomination for Deputy Speaker, that of Micoud South representative Allen Chastanet, made by Housing Minister Richard Frederick, was shot down by Speaker Claudius Francis who explained that Chastanet, as Leader of the Opposition in the House, cannot be nominated to the post.
Dr. Anthony filled in a vacancy left by Jeremiah Norbert, the representative for Micoud North, who vacated the position to take up the ministerial responsibility for Crime Prevention and Persons with Disabilities, at the same time overseeing the portfolios of Home Affairs Minister Dr Virginia Albert-Poyotte who is currently on sick leave.
The resignation of Norbert prompted Chastanet, last week, to speak on the possibility of a constitutional crisis if the position was filled from someone outside the House.
PM Pierre, yesterday in the House, said he “never made any statement to say that the Deputy Speaker would be a member not in the House. I said it would be a member either in the House or out of the House.”