Shahinie Robinson being sworn in as a new Member of Parliament last March. - File
MPs, Senators to be sworn in on Nov 14
Jamaica Gleaner
Monday, November 11, 2002
Shahinie Robinson being sworn in as a new Member of Parliament last March. - File
PARLIAMENT IS to resume this Thursday, when the 60 recently-elected MPs and 21 appointed Senators are sworn in at a ceremony at Gordon House, Duke Street, Kingston.
The ceremony is to be officiated by the Clerk of the House, Mrs. Shirley Lewis.
The People's National Party (PNP) Government, led by Prime Minister P. J. Patterson, will swear in 34 MPs while the Opposition, Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leader, Edward Seaga, will swear-in 26, in the 60-seat House of Representatives.
Thirteen Government Senators and eight Opposition Senators will be sworn-in for the 21-seat Upper House. The ceremony, which is to start at 11:00 a.m., will see the Clerk of the Houses of Parliament calling the Senators into the chamber first.
Once inside, she will call for prayers. The Senators will then select a President from amongst the 21 members. Once selected, Mrs. Lewis will oversee the swearing-in of the President of the Senate and then leave the rest of the proceedings to the President, who will adjourn the meeting within a very short time thereafter.
Once the Senators have vacated the Chamber, Mrs. Lewis will call on the 60 MPs to take their seats. Once seated, The Speaker of the House is selected and then sworn in by Mrs. Lewis, who will then leave the rest of the swearing-in to be officiated by the Speaker.
In the selection process, for both the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, they are first nominated, seconded, and then given the 'yea' or 'nay' (yes or no) vote. The Senators are usually invited back into the Chamber to witness the MPs taking their oath.