Senators sit

The Opposition United Workers Party (UWP) will have three women and one man as senators in the House of Assembly when Parliament meets for the first time since the December 6, 2019 general elections on February 10, 2020.

The three women are Ernie Lawrence Jno Finn, Francisca Joseph and Annette Sanford.

None of those who were appointed senators from 2015 to 2019 have been retained- namely, Monelle Williams-Jno Baptiste, Isaac Baptiste, Felix Thomas and Ronald Charles. Charles replaced Dr. Thomson Fontaine who missed three consecutive meetings without an excuse and automatically gave up the position according to the rules of the House of Assembly.

The Dominica Constitution states that five senators shall be appointed by the President acting in accordance with advice from the Prime Minister. Similarly, the supreme law of the State says that four senators shall be appointed by the president acting in accordance with the advice of the Leader of the Opposition.

The Sun newspaper has been informed that Opposition Leader and head of the UWP, Lennox Linton, has written to President Charles Savarin advising him of the party's choices.

Jno Finn, who contested the Castle Bruce seat and narrowly lost, is an educator by profession. She comes from the hamlet of Good Hope; her personal profile states that she is an accomplished primary school teacher and school principal. She holds a Master's Degree in Educational Administration (Leicester University, UK 1993 – 1995) and a Certificate in Education (University of the West Indies School of Continuing Studies).

Joseph contested and lost the La-Plaine seat in the 06 December 2019 general election. She was born in Victoria, a hamlet in the village of Delices. Joseph holds a Graduate Diploma (PGDip) with distinction in Social Protection from the University of the West Indies, Mona; a Certificate in management Development (the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business, St Augustine, University of the West Indies) as well as a Certificate in Youth Work (Commonwealth Youth programme).

Sanford, who contested and lost the Kalinago Territory election to Cozier Frederick of the Dominica Labour Party (DLP), is the third woman that the UWP has named as senator. She is married to former UWP senator Claudius Sanford. She is a nurse by profession.

The male opposition senator is to be Clement Marcellin Jr who contested and lost the election in the Vieille Case constituency to the incumbent Roosevelt Skerrit.

Marcellin Jr has earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Technical Management from DeVry University and a Master of Science Degree in Project Management from Keller Graduate School.

On the opposition bench, these senators will join Linton (who won the Marigot constituency seat), Danny Lugay (Roseau North's member of parliament) and Hector John the MP of Salisbury.

Meanwhile, the DLP has named three senators. They have been appointed to the Cabinet of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit. They are:

Senator Cassani Laville, Minister of Public Works and the Digital Economy; Senator Oscar George, Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister, with responsibility for Telecommunications and Broadcasting; Senator Gregory "Karessah" Riviere, Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Affairs and Planning.

The DLP has not yet named the other two senators.

At that sitting of parliament the senators will take their oaths before new Speaker Joseph Isaac who will replace Alix Boyd Knights. Isaac is a former member of the UWP who crossed the floor two years ago; he contested the Roseau North seat, and lost, at the December 06 2019 general election.

Boyd-Knights leaves the Speaker's seat after 20 years.