Letter of the Day | Given the importance of the House Speaker’s role...
Published:Thursday | March 28, 2024 | 12:08 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
Could the wife of President Joe Biden, were she a sitting US senator, become Speaker of the House in the US Congress? Yes, she could, but, it would never happen. Why? Because the wife of the president of the United States, being in such a powerful and key role, would be deemed untenable, by Republicans, Democrats and all well-thinking Americans. Likewise, here at home, the wife or husband of a sitting prime minister should not, for the sake of democracy and good governance, though, constitutionally and under Jamaica’s Westminster model, she/he could.
Further, given the importance of the role of Speaker of the House of Representatives to Jamaica’s democracy, to good governance, and to, overall, fairness and balance and the appearance and/or practice thereof, serious thought should be given by the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) toward placing in the Jamaican Constitution a new law that could read as follows: “No Member of Parliament (MP) of a governing party and/or no Member of Parliament (MP) of an Opposition party and/or no Member of Parliament of an Independent political party or movement can and/or should and/or will be elected or selected or appointed to the post of Speaker of the House of Representatives”.
A subsection of the aforementioned law could read as follows: “A retired or sitting or working Supreme Court judge or a retired or working educator or any retired or working or employed civil servant, who has a strong track record of upholding the highest principles of honesty, decency, integrity, fairness and balance should and/or can and/or will be appointed to the role of Speaker of the House of Representatives.”
PATRICK GALLIMORE