(REAL News) — The delayed swearing-in of Kelvin “Shugy” Simon, the recently re-elected representative for St. Mary’s South, is as a political move by the Gaston Browne Administration, as far as attorney Leon Chaku Symister is concerned.
Simon made history by becoming the first candidate to win two elections in one year, when, on October 24, he trounced the Antigua Labour candidate by 174 votes, dashing Prime Minister Gaston Browne’s hopes of capturing the seat.
Despite the time lag, says Symister, Simon automatically became a member of the House of Representatives once the Writ of Elections was returned to the Governor-General on October 25.
However, he notes that, based on the Standing Orders of the Lower House, the oath of office must be taken before a new MP is allowed to participate in parliamentary proceedings.
According to Symister, the current political delay appears to be in line with what took place following the January 18, 2023, General Elections, when the Opposition MPs were not sworn in until mid-
February.
Symister, the United Progressive Party (UPP) spokesman on legal matters, says the Party has been “dancing on a stage of popularity” over the past several months and the people remain “hyped up.”
To have the swearing-in take place now, and to bring scores of people to the Parliament to witness Simon’s oath-taking, would be another slap in the face for the Antigua Labour Party government, he
says.
Meanwhile, he explains that when a person is voted in at a by-election, the Parliament is already in place; so it is basically a matter of having the new member sworn in at the earliest possible time.
However, Symister says there is absolutely no legitimate excuse for the length of time it is taking to have Simon officially seated as an MP.
According to the attorney, this action by the Government bench clearly shows that there is a need for Constitution reform – and for the establishment of a time frame in which a newly elected MP
should take the oath of office.
To underscore his point, he notes that senators can be selected and sworn in on the same day.
In this regard, the UPP spokesperson says, members of the Lower House should be accorded greater priority, since they were elected by the people and not selected by any particular entity.
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