STATEMENT FROM THE OFFICE OF THE SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 17, 2025 (Office of the Speaker of the National Assembly of Saint Christopher and Nevis) – Over the past week, much has been said to suggest that the Parliament of St. Christopher and Nevis is in disarray.
The Office of the Speaker wishes to categorically refute this narrative and to provide clarity on several matters of public interest, particularly, the Confirmation of Minutes, Procedural Changes and the Modernization and improvement of Parliament.
- ON THE PREPARATION AND CIRCULATION OF PARLIAMENTARY
MINUTES
I was sworn in as Speaker of this law-making body on 25th October, 2022, following the general elections of 5th August, 2022.
It must be stated for the record that upon taking up my parliamentary duties, I was made aware that the Office of The Clerk did not have in place a Hansard system to enable said Office to prepare minutes in accordance with Standing Order 11(1), which provides that “the Clerk shall keep the Minutes of the proceedings of the National Assembly and of Committees of the whole National Assembly, which shall record the names of members attending, all decisions taken and details of every division held.” Additionally, there was no alternative mechanism within that office for the recording or preparing of minutes.
Recognizing the importance of accuracy and transparency in parliamentary recordkeeping, my Office took deliberate steps to remedy this gap by securing the services of a professional Stenographer to assist the Clerk’s Office in preparing the official minutes. Since the installation of a Stenographer, upon completion, each set of minutes has been meticulously reviewed by my Office.
For minutes confirmed (October 2022 – December 2024) on 6th October, 2025, they were circulated by the Office of the Clerk electronically to all Members of Parliament on 11th July, 2025, three months in advance of the 6th October 2025 sitting, inviting proposed amendments. Members of Parliament were afforded a further opportunity to indicate any corrections during the sitting of 6th October, 2025.
To be clear, while it is being wrongly suggested that there was a breach of the rules of Parliament, I am confirming that no Standing Orders were breached, and the minutes were confirmed with no opposing vote.
To suggest that an illegality was committed in this regard is both dishonest and reckless and further, clearly motivated by a misplaced desire to darken the halls of this Honourable Parliament with political antics. The procedure employed was consistent with parliamentary standards and the principles of good governance, maintained by this Parliament under my leadership.
- ON THE OPPORTUNITY TO AMEND MINUTES:
It should further be noted that during the 6th October, 2025 sitting, the Honourable Member for Saint Christopher 7 (who stood on a point of order to query the procedure) was offered an opportunity to provide any amendments. The Honourable Member for Saint Christopher 7 (consistent with behaviour displayed in past parliaments) opted to leave the Parliamentary Chambers without proposing any amendment or participating in the vote to confirm the minutes.
The Office of the Speaker reminds the members of Parliament, the people of St Kitts and Nevis that, confirmation of minutes was lawfully completed.
- ON THE STATE OF THE PARLIAMENT AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF THIS TERM
It has now become incumbent upon me to shed light on a number of issues that were inherited and the corrective measures subsequently undertaken. My first day at the Office revealed that the Speaker’s Office itself was being utilized as a storeroom for the Office of the Attorney General.
There was no computer, however, one was later provided through the kind assistance of the Office of the Prime Minister. There was also no internet access. The premises contained old, broken furniture which had to be replaced. It was pellucid that Parliament had not been treated as a national priority.
In addition, the Speaker’s Office had to be completely reconfigured for practical and official use. The space was reorganized to reflect the dignity and functionality required for the administration of parliamentary affairs.
Importantly, the Office of the Clerk had no previously designated workspace, as the Clerk operated primarily from the Clerk’s Table in the Parliament, rather than from a dedicated office space. As a result, several official records were not properly kept or preserved. For example, there are no confirmed Minutes of Parliament on file at the Parliament’s precincts for any sittings prior to this Administration taking office on August 14th, 2022. The same was true for the Speaker’s Office, where key records and documents were either missing or inadequately organized. This lack of structure made the process of ensuring continuity, transparency, and
accountability significantly more difficult. These circumstances represented serious institutional deficiencies that demanded immediate corrective action to restore proper record management and administrative continuity.
I took immediate action and set about implementing corrective measures to rebuild the administrative foundation of the Parliament and ensure that accurate records of proceedings could once again be properly maintained.
The Clerk’s Office, which previously had no dedicated workspace, was furnished and equipped to ensure professionalism and efficiency.
The Deputy Clerk’s Office, once used as additional storage for the Office of the Attorney General, is now furnished and is a designated space from which to perform official duties.
Moreover, the Parliamentary Lounge, which was also reconfigured, is not only functional, but is frequently used by other government departments and overseas delegations.
- ON ADVANCING A MODERN, SUSTAINABLE PARLIAMENT
Under my stewardship, the National Assembly has implemented several transformative initiatives, including:
The banning of single-use plastics and introduction of sustainable alternatives within the precincts of Parliament.
A Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Benchmark Assessment was carried out to evaluate our parliamentary performance against Commonwealth standards.
The introduction of sign language interpreters to promote accessibility and inclusiveness of all nationals and residents in the federation and overseas during
parliamentary sittings.
The facilitation of official travel opportunities for Opposition Members to represent the National Assembly at regional and international fora.
Continued training of Parliamentarians both Government and Opposition.
A formal engagement with ParlAmericas to modernize and digitize the Parliament, develop an official website and design an AI-driven parliamentary management system, customized to local operations.
In fact, I met with representatives of ParlAmericas as recently as Friday of the past week, during the 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference held in Barbados, to advance ongoing discussions on modernization and support initiatives for the Parliament of St. Christopher and
Nevis.
In addition, an awareness campaign will soon be launched to share knowledge on parliamentary rules and procedures, empowering citizens to better understand the workings of the National Assembly and resist manipulation or misinformation offered by unscrupulous actors.
- A COMMITMENT TO PROGRESS
Nation-building and institutional strengthening take time. However, the progress made within this short period (October 2022 – Present) has been recognized both locally and internationally.
The Parliament of St. Christopher and Nevis has been commended for its advancements, modernization and the renewed culture of respect and decorum that now characterizes its proceedings.
When I accepted this office, I did so with a full understanding that leadership would have its ebbs and flows. Nonetheless, I remain steadfast in my work and committed to the continued advancement and integrity of this Parliament.
Office of the Speaker
National Assembly of St. Christopher and Nevis
