by Linda Straker
- New session of Parliament opens on Wednesday, 31 August 2022
- Katisha Douglas, Norland Cox and Neilon Franklyn are Opposition Senators
- Salim Rahaman, André Lewis and Roderick St Clair are Independent Senators
Independent senators plus the third senator nominated by Dr Keith Mitchell Leader of the Opposition are scheduled to receive their instruments of appointment next Monday from Governor General Dame Cécile La Grenade.
The 3rd senator appointed on the recommendation of Dr Mitchell is Katisha Douglas, a human resource specialist working in the private sector. General Secretary of the New National Party (NNP) Roland Bhola said that Douglas might be unknown to some, but she is well known among party executives. “She been around a long time and actually worked in the campaign office for the last election.”
Bhola was the campaign manager for the 23 June 2022 General Election. The NNP, which won 6 constituency seats, is now the elected Opposition in Parliament.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) won 9 seats; this gave them the majority in the Parliament and formed the government for the next 5 years. The party is led by Dickon Mitchell, who is the Prime Minister.
The Grenada Constitution provides for the elected Leader of the Opposition to appoint 3 individuals to the Upper House or Senate. Douglas will be joining former Infrastructure Minister Norland Cox and youth leader Neilon Franklyn in representing the Opposition in the Upper House.
The Constitution also provides for the appointment of 3 independent senators who shall be appointed by the Governor-General, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister after the Prime Minister has consulted the organisations or interests which the Prime Minister considers the Senators should be selected to represent.
For the 11th Parliament, businessman Salim Rahaman representing the business community; André Lewis representing the Trade Union Movement; and Roderick St Clair representing the agriculture and fishing communities, will be the independent senators. Lewis and St Clair are returning senators for their constituents.
The new session of Parliament is set to open on Wednesday, 31 August 2022. During this first session, all Members of Parliament will be taking the oath of office.