(RealNews)Lars Jamale Pringle, Leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP), and four persons selected to sit in the Upper House of Parliament were sworn in Tuesday morning, January 24, in a ceremony at Government House.
Pringle took the oaths of office confirming him as Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives for a second consecutive term.
Meanwhile, Shawn Nicholas returns to the Senate – this time as Minority Leader. She replaces Richard Lewis, who has been elevated to the Lower House, after having trounced Antigua Labour Party candidate Gail Christian in the recent General Election.
Christian, herself, has been replaced in the Senate.
Also making a return to the Upper House is Johnathan Joseph, who very narrowly missed defeating Sir Molwyn Joseph at the polls.
The two newcomers are Alex Browne, who made considerable inroads against Sir Robin Yearwood in the elections, and David Massiah, the general secretary of the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union, a labour organization long affiliated with the UPP.
Former senator Damani Tabor, the Party’s public relations officer, will be channeling his expertise to other areas of the Party at this time, the UPP says.
In the meantime, Samantha Marshall, who lost her seat to the UPP’s Kelvin “Shugy” Simon, replaces Mary-Clare Hurst as Leader of Government Business in the Senate.
Marshall has also been appointed a Minister of State within the Ministry of Health, Wellness, Social Transformation and the Environment with responsibility for Social Transformation.
Hurst also makes a return, but as the deputy leader.
Shenella Govia, Osbert Frederick, Colin O’Neal Browne, Knacyntar Nedd-Charles, Phillip Shoul and Caleb Gardiner – who replaced Eustace “Teco” Lake in December last year – all return to the august body.
Govia and Nedd-Charles have also been appointed Parliamentary Secretaries in the Ministry of Education, Creative Industries and Sports and in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Trade and Barbuda Affairs, respectively.
The new government senators are Clement Antonio, who will serve as Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Housing, Works, Land and Urban Renewal, and Rawdon Turner, who was defeated by independent candidate Asot Michael in St. Peter.
Alincia Williams-Grant continues as President of the Senate.
All of the Antigua Labour Party senators and ministers of state were sworn in and received their instruments of appointment during a ceremony at Government House on Monday, January 23.
Not appointed to the Senate this time around are Maureen Payne Hyman and Aziza Lake.
