Jamaica: 60 Members of Parliament Sworn In

Members of Parliament: Sixty of the 63 Members of Parliament who won seats in the September 3 General Election, were sworn in at the opening of the new Parliament on Tuesday, September 15, 2020. Absent were members for Clarendon North West, St. Ann South East, and Westmoreland Eastern.

Judicial recounts for two of these constituencies are currently underway while the Jamaica Labour Party’s Daniel Lawrence was declared winner in the Westmoreland Eastern constituency.

In a historic move, 18 women have been elected as Members of Parliament, 14 of which are from the Jamaica Labour Party and four from the People’s National Party.

A majority of the new faces in Parliament are under the JLP’s banner. All received resounding endorsements, some defeating longstanding Members of Parliament.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness in his first address charged his team to “put Jamaica first”.

Additionally, Member of Parliament for South Trelawny, Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert was elected as Speaker of the House of Representatives, thus making it the second time she will be holding this position, having first served from July 2011 to December 2011.

While Member of Parliament for St. Andrew East rural, Juliet Holness, was selected as Deputy Speaker, another historic moment as there has never been two women in these positions simultaneously.

Leader of the Opposition, Dr. Peter Phillips says co-operation is key in weathering through the current pandemic.

The Government will obviously have its hands full in trying to recover stronger and restoring economic growth to pre-COVID-19 levels.

Robian Williams for CVM LIVE, reports: