empty Speaker seat before Sir Howard was elected to sit in for substantive Speaker
Shirley Osborne, PDM party chairman named Speaker from a list where her name did not appear
Newly appointed speaker of the house, Shirley Osborne
Strong words from across a wide section of the public emanating from the news that the People’s Democratic Party (PDM) exactly eight weeks after it swept into power in Montserrat, after much named a substantive Speaker to the Legislative Assembly.
She is Shirley Osborne daughter of long serving former Chief Minister John Osborne, who was deceased not too long after his son, Shirley’s brother was elected on the Movement for Change and Prosperity (MCAP) election ticket in 2009. She now expects to be nominated and elected at a sitting of the Legislative Assembly.
She was chosen on Thursday evening during a meeting of the PDM Executive in a democratic manner according to the Premier Donaldson Romeo whose own nomination was reportedly unsuccessful at the presumed vote.
While expressing her gratitude to the members and supporters of the PDM party, she said she is thankful for the support she has received and the confidence placed in her, she will do her utmost to get the job done and to make the people of Montserrat proud. “This is not how I had planned to serve the people of Montserrat right now,” she told ZJB radio. “I had wanted to serve and be more active work on the ground with more active development on the ground.”
Hon. David Osborne
She said further, “…what I am seeing now is an overwhelming sense of gratitude.” She said that when she accepted, “…last night I did it from the point of view that I was being offered or given something valuable and important and significant. I thank the people who think I am worthy of this.”
She would later admit after that she was involved for some time in the search and deliberation on a number of candidates who either promoted themselves and fitting for the job, or otherwise nominated. Speaking to ZJB News said: “We looked at who was more suitable and capable of doing the job…”
The news then of course came as a surprise since the names of several other persons had surfaced, and TMR was told that the named had declined the suggestion that she be one of the contenders for the post.
The announcement did raise some questions as it was rumoured and suggested that Ms. Osborne might have been a US citizen and not a registered voter. Those questions were quickly resolved as Ms. Osborne herself cleared the air with ZJB radio that she does have a ‘US green card’, but had long said she would remain a Montserratian no matter… She also confirmed she voted in the just concluded elections.
However, according to the Montserrat 2010 Constitution, there is still the outstanding matter that she is required to satisfy to be elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly.
Along with, “being by virtue of his or her own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state and has not formally renounced it before the expiration of ten days after his or her nomination for election; be a registered voter;” she must, “have been in Montserrat for at least twelve months during the five years immediately preceding the date of his or her nomination for election.’
From all reports and to the best of our knowledge, the Government has already faltered in meeting Constitutional requirements regarding the Legislative Assembly. A Deputy Speaker should be elected during the first meeting of the new Legislative Assembly. The matter of the Speaker was dealt with as Sir Howard, as he has done before agreed that he would sit while the new Speaker was announced and ready to serve.
Section 59(4) of the Constitution states: “When the Legislative Assembly first meets after any general election and before it proceeds to the despatch of any other business except the election of the Speaker, it shall elect a member of the Assembly who is not a member of the Cabinet to be Deputy Speaker of the Assembly.”
General comments and concerns over the announcement surround the fact she has been the party chairman and had expressed, according to sources in party management, strong desire that her brother should have been in the Cabinet. While that matter had seemingly been resolved, it was not before it was evident that all was not well at the time. There was also among those named for the Speaker position close family relation.
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Pics of David Osborne, Shirley, and one of the empty speaker chair.
Caption for chair: empty Speaker seat before Sir Howard was elected to sit in for substantive Speaker
only a person described in subsection (2) is qualified to be elected as an elected member of the Legislative Assembly providing the requirements of subsection (3) are satisfied, among which are: (b) be a registered voter; and
(c) have been in Montserrat for at least twelve months during the five years immediately
preceding the date of his or her nomination for election.
There are others which include being by virtue of his or her own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state and has not formally renounced it before the expiration of ten days after his or her nomination for election;
Shirley Osborne says she is deeply honoured and humbled to be selected as the next Speaker of the Montserrat Legislative Assembly. Her selection was confirmed during a meeting of the PDM Executive on Thursday evening. She said she is thankful for the support she has received and the confidence placed in her by members and supporters of the PDM party. She said she will do her utmost to get the job done and to make the people of Montserrat proud
This is not how I had planned to serve the people of Montserrat right now I had wanted to serve on the ground, more active work on the ground more active development on the ground what I am seeing now is an overwhelming sense of gratitude. When I accepted last night I did it from the point of view that I was being offered or given something valuable and important and significant. I thank the people who think I am worthy of this.
She confirmed that she is not a US citizen, and was registered as a voter, voting in the last Elections.
