In a rare feature in the Anguilla House of Assembly, a new term, “Father of the House” was assumed by the longest-serving Member, Mr. Evans Rogers, on Friday, July 17. That was the ceremonial opening of the Assembly in its first session of its Twelfth Meeting.
The main order of business was the election of a Speaker and the swearing-in of the newly-elected Members of the Anguilla Progressive Movement Government and the Opposition Anguilla United Front, the Deputy Governor/Deputy Speaker and the Attorney General.
Much to the interest of the crowd in the gallery, until it was clarified by him, Opposition Member and former Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Evans Rogers, took a front seat in the Assembly along with the Clerk, Mr. Joash Proctor. He explained, afterwards, that being the longest-serving Member (for 15 years), he had taken on the title of “Father of the House” and that, as such, he was to preside over the election of the Speaker. It was a novel event in the Anguilla House of Assembly which appears to be in keeping with new norms being introduced by the passionate Clerk, Mr. Proctor, guided by the best parliamentary practices of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).
The voting, by ballot, resulted in the election of Mrs. Barbara Webster-Bourne, who previously served as Speaker in the 2010 -2015 House of Assembly. She won with seven votes from the APM Government members compared to three votes for the former Speaker, Mr. Terry Harrigan, from the Opposition’s side of the House. Mr. Rogers, the fourth Opposition Member, was unable to vote by virtue of his presiding role during the election process for the Speaker. There were two abstentions – presumably the Deputy Governor and the Attorney General.
