Leader of The New Movement (TNM), Dr Asha Kissoon has been elected Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.
Since the resignation of former Deputy Speaker and Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) leader Lenox Shuman from Parliament, the position of Deputy Speaker has been vacant. The New Movement (TNM) leader, Dr Asha Kissoon has taken Shuman’s seat as Member of Parliament (MP).
At Thursday’s sitting, she was nominated by Governance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Gail Teixeira and scooped up majority votes at 33. The other nominated member, Dawn Hastings-Williams was defeated.
Shuman’s term as Deputy Speaker ended when he resigned in March 2023, as per the term limit imposed by the joinder party’s agreement to rotate their seat in Parliament. The joinder parties – LJP, TNM and A New and United Guyana (ANUG) – collectively won a single seat in the 65-seat National Assembly following the March 2020 General and Regional Elections.
The number of votes indicated that of the trio, LJP secured the most votes with 2657, while ANUG and TNM secured 2313 and 244, respectively. The duration of the terms, according to the joinder agreement, had stipulated that LJP in the form of Shuman would occupy the seat for two years, six months, and 20 days, while ANUG would serve for two years five months, and TNM for 80 days.
