No confidence: PNP against Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert and Juliet Holness for House Speaker

The People’s National Party (PNP) says it will not support the reappointment of either Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert or Juliet Holness to the position of Speaker of the House, citing issues with their past leadership.

Members of Parliament are to be sworn in on Thursday.

“The Speaker must serve the people of Jamaica as an impartial umpire of parliamentary proceedings, not partisan interests. Our Parliament cannot afford to repeat past mistakes," argued PNP Chairperson Dr Angela Brown Burke in a media release on Wednesday.

"The next Speaker must uphold the Constitution, safeguard the integrity of Parliament, act fairly, and ensure balance in their rulings. For this reason, the People’s National Party has no confidence in, and firmly opposes, the reappointment of either Mrs Dalrymple-Philibert or Mrs Juliet Holness as Speaker of the House," she continued.

The PNP asserts that in recent years, serious concerns have arisen regarding the manner in which the business of the House has been conducted, including obfuscation and inordinate delays in the tabling of critical reports to Parliament from the Auditor General and the Integrity Commission, under the leadership of successive Speakers—despite advice to the contrary from the Attorney General’s Chambers.

These issues, the party charges, have eroded trust and confidence in the critical role of the Speaker.

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