The Tribune

THE Bahamas Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, in conjunction with the CPA, will host a post-election seminar on March 26-30, under the theme, “285 Years And beyond: Deepening Democracy Through Parliament,” at Atlantis Beach Tower, Paradise Island, coinciding with the 285th anniversary of the Bahamas Parliament.

The opening ceremony will be addressed by Prime Minister Perry Christie, Leader of the Opposition Dr Hubert Minnis, President of the Senate Sharon Wilson, and Speaker of the House of Assembly Dr Kendal Major.

Presenters include Sharon Wilson, Dr Major, Michael A Carrington MP, Speaker of the House of Assembly of Barbados; Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Transport and Aviation; Raynell Andreychuk, Canadian Senate; Sean McWeeney QC; Carl Bethel, Opposition Leader in the Senate; and Jacqui Sampson-Meiguel, clerk of the House of Representatives, Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago.

Senate President Wilson will speak on “Protocol, Ethics and Accountability of Members of Parliament”, while Dr Major will speak on “Deepening Democracy through Parliament”. Mr Carrington will address “The role of the Presiding Officers/Practice and procedures in Parliament,” and “The Role of members of Parliament/Democracy and Civil Society.”

Mrs Hanna-Martin will speak on “Women in Parliament,” and Senator Andreychuk will speak on “Party Organisation with Parliament” and will team with Senator Bethel on the topic “The Role of the Second Chamber in Bicameral Parliaments’. Mr McWeeney will discuss “The Evolution of Parliamentary Democracy and the Constitution of the Bahamas”. Mrs Sampson-Meiguel will speak on topics including “The Development of the Commonwealth and the Role of the CPA”.