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Deputy House Speaker Juliet Holness
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Political commentators Lloyd B. Smith and Damion Gordon
By Nakinskie Robinson
Political commentators are expressing unease over the possible selection of Deputy House Speaker Juliet Holness as Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Speaking in an interview with Radio Jamaica News on Monday, political commentator and former Member of Parliament for St. James Central Lloyd B. Smith said he believes Mrs. Holness becoming the next House Speaker would be an unwise move given public scrutiny that may arise surrounding her integrity and ability to be impartial.
"I think there may be a certain uncomfortable atmosphere to any such appointment given the fact that the Speaker holds sway in the House. Will she, for example, be able to chide her husband, the Prime Minister, if he were to do anything or say anything that is not in line with the Standing Orders? So it's a tricky situation," Mr. Smith admitted.
Lecturer and political commentator Damion Gordon said outgoing House Speaker Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert's issues with the Integrity Commission and her stewardship of the House have brought the role into disrepute.
He believes the next Speaker will be under heavy public scrutiny as a result.
Mrs Dalrymple-Philibert has come under fire from opposition members for what they claim was her apparent bias and controversial decisions on heavily disputed matters in the House.
"There is certainly a strong view that the stewardship of the House under the previous tenure of the Speaker, a lot was left to be desired in terms of objectively managing parliamentary procedures in a balance. So much so that...there are high expectations now being imposed on the next Speaker to steward the Parliament in a much more different manner," Mr. Gordon reasoned.
Both commentators expressed that the next Speaker should be guided by parliamentary principles and a commitment to impartiality when presiding over matters in the House.
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