Caribbean News
JAMAICA: Cultural Tribute for Mr. Seaga
#Kingston, June 20, 2019 – Jamaica – Late former Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Edward Seaga, was saluted in a special cultural showcase held last evening (June 18) at the Little Theatre in St. Andrew.
The approximately three-hour event, which started at 7:30, featured performances in song, poetry and dance from the University Singers, National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC), Nexus Performing Company, Dean Fraser, and the Tivoli Dance Troupe.
There were also tributes from members of Government, academia and representatives of institutions established by the late former Prime Minister.
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, in her remarks said that Mr. Seaga was “the master craftsman”, who “laboured” for the upliftment of the culture of Jamaicans and promoted understanding and appreciation of the rituals that “our people have created”.
“We salute a great man, who developed institutions, people, communities, and an entire nation. He was a man who made a difference, and his legacy will live on in the many agencies that he created,” she noted.
Pro-Vice Chancellor at the University of Technology (UTech), Richard Powell, said Mr. Seaga, who was the institution’s Chancellor, dedicated himself to the growth of the university, and used his links in the private sector to improve the cause of students and staff.
“Many have been touched by his practicality, sound judgment, and commitment to Jamaica. The Most Hon. Edward Seaga has given us a life of hard work, diligence and commitment,” Mr. Powell said.
Managing Director of the HEART Trust/NTA, Dr. Janet Dyer, for her part, noted that the late former Prime Minister was a man of “far-reaching vision and wisdom”. She noted that he established the HEART Trust as “a powerful tool for human capital development”, transforming the nation’s youth, and positioning Jamaica with critical skills.
Deputy Principal of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus, Professor Ian Boxill, noted that Mr. Seaga contributed to the university as a Senior Research Fellow and was a “productive member” of the Mona academic community.
He noted that Mr. Seaga was a “fierce advocate of education for all”.
“He understood the transformational power of education and how it can be truly used to move our society to sustainable economic growth and prosperity, grounded in the principle of equity. His commitment to building bridges between the haves and the have-nots serves as a true hallmark of the character of the man, and the leader,” Professor Boxill said.
Mr. Seaga, who was Jamaica’s fifth Prime Minister, died on May 28 at age 89. He served as Member of Parliament for Western Kingston for 43 years. The State funeral for Mr. Seaga will be held on Sunday, June 23 at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, 1 George Headley Drive in Kingston, with interment at National Heroes Park.
An official period of mourning is being observed from June 19 to 22, during which the National Flag is to be flown at half-mast on all public buildings.
Contact: Garfield Angus
Release: JIS
Photo Captions:
Header: The National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC), performs at the special tribute to the late former Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Edward Seaga, held at the Little Theatre, St. Andrew, on June 18.
First Insert: Members of the National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC) in performance at a special tribute to the late former Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Edward Seaga, held at the Little Theatre in St. Andrew on June 18.
Second Insert: Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, deliverers the closing address at a special tribute to the late former Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Edward Seaga, held at the Little Theatre in St. Andrew on Tuesday (June 18).
Third Insert: Managing Director of the HEART Trust/NTA, Dr. Janet Dyer, pays tribute to the late former Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Edward Seaga, at a special function in his honour, held at the Little Theatre in St. Andrew on June 18.
Fourth Insert: Saxophonist Dean Fraser, performs at the special tribute to the late former Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Edward Seaga, held at the Little Theatre, St. Andrew, on Tuesday (June 18).
Photos by Mark Bell
By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media
October 14, 2025 – It’s being called political theatre — but for citizens, constitutional watchdogs, and democracy advocates across the Caribbean, it feels far more serious. Within a single week, two national parliaments — in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis — descended into turmoil as opposition members stormed out in protest, accusing their Speakers of bias, overreach, and abuse of parliamentary procedure.
For observers, the walkouts signal a deeper problem: erosion of trust in the very institutions meant to safeguard democracy. When Speakers are viewed as political enforcers instead of neutral referees, parliaments stop functioning as chambers of debate and start performing as stages for power and spectacle — with citizens left wondering who, if anyone, is still accountable.
October 6: St. Kitts Parliament Erupts
The first walkout erupted in Basseterre on October 6, 2025, when Dr. Timothy Harris, former Prime Minister and now Opposition Leader,
led his team out of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly in a protest that stunned the chamber.
The flashpoint came as the Speaker moved to approve more than three years’ worth of unratified parliamentary minutes in one sitting — covering 27 meetings and three national budgets — without individual review or debate.
Dr. Harris called the move “a flagrant breach of the Constitution and parliamentary tradition,” warning that the practice undermines transparency and accountability. “No serious parliament can go years without approving a single set of minutes,” he said after exiting the chamber.
The Speaker defended the decision as administrative housekeeping, but critics were unconvinced, branding the move a “world record disgrace.” The opposition’s walkout triggered renewed calls for the Speaker’s resignation and sparked a wider public discussion about record-keeping, accountability, and respect for parliamentary norms in St. Kitts and Nevis.
October 10: Trinidad Opposition Follows Suit
Four days later, on October 10, 2025, the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) in Trinidad and Tobago staged its own walkout from the House of Representatives in Port of Spain.
The UNC accused the Speaker of partisan bias, claiming she had repeatedly blocked urgent questions, ignored points of order, and allowed government members to breach standing orders without consequence.
“The Speaker has failed in her duty to act impartially,” the Opposition declared in a statement. “Parliament is not the property of any political party or Presiding Officer.”
The dramatic exit was seen as a culmination of months of rising tension and frustration, with opposition MPs arguing that parliamentary rules were being selectively applied to silence dissenting voices.
Political analyst Dr. Marcia Ferdinand described the twin walkouts as “a warning sign that parliamentary democracy in the Caribbean is teetering on the edge of performative politics.”
“When chairs become political shields rather than constitutional referees,” she said, “democracy becomes theatre, not governance.”
A Pattern Emerging
While St. Kitts and Trinidad are very different political environments, both incidents point to the same regional fault line: the perception that Speakers — the guardians of parliamentary order — are no longer impartial.
In Westminster-style systems like those across the Caribbean, the Speaker’s authority depends not on power but on public confidence in fairness. Once that credibility erodes, parliamentary control collapses into confrontation.
Governance experts say the implications are serious: eroded trust between government and opposition, declining public confidence in state institutions, and growing voter cynicism that “rules” are flexible tools of political advantage.
Why It Matters
Parliamentary walkouts are not new in the Caribbean, but what makes these recent events different is their frequency and intensity — and
the regional echo they’ve created. Social media has amplified images of lawmakers storming out, with citizens from Barbados to Belize questioning whether the same erosion of decorum could be happening in their own legislatures.
Analysts warn that if this perception takes hold, it risks diminishing the moral authority of parliamentary democracy itself.
“Once opposition MPs believe the rules are rigged, and once citizens believe Parliament is just performance,” said one Caribbean governance researcher, “you’ve lost the most valuable currency in democracy — trust.”
Restoring Balance
Political reformers across the region are calling for tighter Standing Order enforcement, independent parliamentary service commissions, and training to strengthen Speaker neutrality. Civil society leaders say the public must also play its part by demanding transparency and refusing to normalize partisan manipulation of parliamentary procedure.
Whether these twin walkouts become catalysts for reform — or simply another episode of Caribbean political theatre — will depend on what happens next inside those chambers.
For now, democracy watchers agree on one thing: when opposition leaders feel the only way to be heard is to walk out, the entire democratic house — not just its Speaker — is in danger of collapse.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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