Historic 10th Parliament opens in T&T

At 4:00 pm on Friday afternoon the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Wade Mark, announced the adjournment of the house "until June 25, 2010," closing the inauguration of the 10th Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago.

It was an historic event in many ways, most notably with the first female Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, taking her parliamentary oath along with other members of parliament.

One of her first announcements was that Local Government elections will be held on July 26, 2010. Persad Bissessar also reiterated her campaign pledge that the Red House will remain the seat of Parliament.

Earlier in his address to a joint session of both house of Parliament, President George Maxwell Richards reminded all representatives that they must at all times be the guardians of democracy.

Former Prime Minister, Patrick Manning, was sworn in as a the MP for San Fernando. It is the first time since 1987 that he is sitting just as a floor member. The new opposition leader and leader of the PNM is Dr Keith Rowley.

It's a major change for Speaker Mark who has been one of the longest serving members of the Senate. The Government Senate leader for this first session is Subhas Panday, brother of former prime minister and UNC leader, Basdeo Panday.

The Senate President is Timothy Hamel-Smith and his deputy will be one UNC Deputy Leader, Lyndira Oudit. The other two deputy leaders - Roodal Moonilal and Suruj Rambachan are MPs.

When the House sits next week the agenda will include a debate on the recommendation of the Police Service commission (PSC) to appoint Canadian Neal Parker as the country's new Police Commissioner.

House leader Dr Roodal Moonilal told the House the PSC has recommended Parker, a retired member of the Canadian Royal Mounted Police (RCMP) for the top post and another Canadian, Jack Etwarski, as a deputy commissioner along with Stephen Williams and Maurice Piggott.

Opposition leader Keith Rowley has already said he is not in favour of a foreigner holding the top post.

"I will have to be convinced that there is good reason why, at this stage in our development, we would have to go abroad for a commissioner of police. It would take a lot of convincing for me to support a foreign commissioner of police," Rowley told reporters.