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| His Excellency, Sir Cuthbert Sebastian. Governor General. |
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, DECEMBER 15TH 2004 (CUOPM) Governor General His Excellency Dr. Sir Cuthbert Sebastian and Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Denzil L. Douglas will inspect a Guard of Honour drawn up outside Government Headquarters on Thursday morning to mark the Formal Opening of a New Session of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly.
Elected Members of the National Assembly will assemble on the Ground Floor of Government Headquarters at 9:25 A.M. to await the 9:30 arrival of Prime Minister and Political Leader of the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party Dr. the Hon. Denzil L. Douglas.
Prime Minister Douglas will be invited to inspect a Guard of Honour drawn up by members of the Royal St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force, the St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force, the St. Kitts Cadet Corps and the St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force Band.
Following the Inspection, Prime Minister Douglas will lead the Elected Members to the National Assembly Chambers for the start of the Formal Session which begins with the reading of Prayers by the Chaplain, Pastor Lincoln of the Antioch Baptist Church.
Clerk of the law-making body, Mr. Jose Lloyd will then read the Proclamation from the Governor General summoning the New Session of the National Assembly following the October 25th General Election in which the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party won 7 of the 11 seats.
The first business of the National Assembly is the election of a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker. Mr. Walford Gumbs, who performed the duties as Speaker in the previous National Assembly is expected to be re-elected Speaker. A Deputy Speaker is also expected to be elected from among the elected members.
Following the administering of the requisite oaths to the new Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, Parliamentary Representatives and Senators, the House of Assembly will be suspended to await the arrival of His Excellency the Governor General to deliver the traditional Speech from the Throne.
On arrival at Government Headquarters, Sir Cuthbert will take the Salute and inspect the Guard of Honour before proceeding to the National Assembly Chambers for the presentation of the policies and programmes of the Third Denzil Douglas Labour Government over the next five years.
The St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party has seven seats in the lawmaking body. The Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) has two and the Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) and the Peoples Action Movement (PAM), one each.
