Caribbean News
Condolences to Queen
His Excellency Nigel Dakin to the House of Assembly
Turks and Caicos Islands Governor
“For my part, I would only say that this relationship between Parliament and Crown, and the seamless transfer of
power between both a past and a present Monarch, and a past and present Prime Minister, in the same week, is built on many of the traditions and courtesies we extend to each other – and more to the point the courtesies that you extend to each other – in this Chamber. It is at moments like this that tradition is not only important in providing comfort, but also delivering certainty.
Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the courtesy you pay our late Sovereign in convening the House for this sad but special occasion. She was many things but at her very core she was a committed Christian and will, I know, both Rest in Peace and Rise Again in Glory. And so I wish her son, and our new King – Charles III, a long and successful Reign. He had the most exemplary of women – both as his mother and as his Queen – to show him the way.
May God Bless these Turks and Caicos Islands, may God receive his faithful servant – Queen Elizabeth II – as she was faithful to us, and may ‘God Save the King’.
Hon C. Washington Misick on behalf of the Country
Turks and Caicos Islands Premier
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was the most striking example of commitment and dedication to duty of any global figure of her generation.
It is with a deep sense of loss and sadness that we pay tribute to her lifetime of devotion, lasting over 70 years. As head of the Commonwealth she was indeed a unifying queen of hearts – to the people of the United Kingdom the Queen represented sovereign leadership and a rallying figure of national pride, a beacon of stability and an inspiring example of public service.
To friend and foe she has left an enduring legacy that will long be unmatched.”
Joseph Biden on behalf of the Country
President of the United States of America
“She was the first British monarch to whom people all around the world could feel a personal and immediate
connection—whether they heard her on the radio as a young princess speaking to the children of the United Kingdom, or gathered around their televisions for her coronation, or watched her final Christmas speech or her Platinum Jubilee on their phones. And she, in turn, dedicated her whole life to their service.
Supported by her beloved Prince Philip for 73 years, Queen Elizabeth II led always with grace, an unwavering commitment to duty, and the incomparable power of her example. She endured the dangers and deprivations of a world war alongside the British people and rallied them during the devastation of a global pandemic to look to better days ahead.
Through her dedication to her patronages and charities, she supported causes that uplifted people and expanded opportunity. By showing friendship and respect to newly independent nations around the world, she elevated the cause of liberty and fostered enduring bonds that helped strengthen the Commonwealth, which she loved so deeply, into a community to promote peace and shared values.
Queen Elizabeth II was a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock Alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States. She helped make our relationship special.”
Wayne Panton on behalf of the country
Cayman Islands Premier
“She left us with a legacy of reaching out to her subjects in the United Kingdom and abroad; being seen as a real person who ensured that the monarchy was able to quietly adapt to changes in society and keep a sharp focus on The Commonwealth.
She was a defender of the faith and a stalwart wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
As our Head of State, our loyalty to the British Crown was strongest and most heartfelt under her reign. We remain loyal to the British Crown, but it has definitely lost one of its most precious jewels.
Through her dedication and unwavering strength, she proved herself to be royalty in every respect.
There will never be another like her.
We had the pleasure of her company when she visited the Cayman Islands not once, but twice before her passing.”
Most Hon Andrew Holness to the country
Jamaica Prime Minister
“The world has lost a global matriarch, who was a steadying and constant force throughout many crises and periods
of difficulty. Over the course of her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II made an immense contribution to the world in public life and was a close friend of Jamaica.
As the longest reigning British sovereign, Queen Elizabeth served with distinction, leading with dignity and grace. Since her coronation in 1953, Her Majesty visited Jamaica every decade until the early 2000s.
Her Royal Tours saw her visiting Jamaica in 1953, 1966, 1975, 1983, 1994 and 2002, where she participated in Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings, and many sittings of the Houses of Parliament on such occasions. Undoubtedly, she formed a special bond with the people of Jamaica during her reign, and her visits were met with warm welcome and an outpouring of affection.”
Hon Ellis Webster on behalf of the Country
Anguilla Premier
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty the Queen. Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to the British
Royal Family on this painful loss.
As the longest serving monarch in the United Kingdom’s history, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s reign has been marked by her overwhelming sense of service, strength of character and personal warmth to everyone who had the honour of meeting her.
Her Majesty’s touch was felt throughout the Commonwealth and Anguilla as an Overseas Territory was honoured by her visit. The world has lost a champion of peace and stability.
Today, we the people of Anguilla join with the citizens of the UK and millions around the world in mourning the loss of an extraordinary monarch, an influential leader, and an inspirational person. Our prayers are with King Charles III and the rest of Her Majesty’s family.”
Natalio Wheatley on behalf of the Country
British Virgin Islands Premier
“At 96 and having just celebrated her platinum jubilee, Her Majesty was the longest serving Head of State; her reign
spanning generations. She was an iconic figure and an inspiration to millions, especially women, as her tenure, noble service and achievements defied and shattered the glass ceiling that was so prominent only a few decades ago.
Her Majesty was elevated to the role of heir presumptive in 1936 at the age of 10 following unanticipated circumstances that changed the line of succession. She ascended to the throne at the age of 25 upon the passing of her father, King George VI, in 1952. Many doubted whether her youth, her limited experience and even her gender were suitable or appropriate for the tremendous responsibility of Monarch at that time. But with courage, Her Majesty stepped into her role and owned it with confidence for every moment of the last 70 years since – ruling through international social, political and technological revolutions and many periods of challenge and triumph.
Virgin Islanders and residents who are old enough, will remember Her Majesty’s two visits to the Virgin Islands. First in 1966, Her Majesty was accompanied by her husband, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Then again in 1977 when my grandfather, Chief Minister Dr the Honourable Willard Wheatley, had the honour of hosting her here in the Territory.”
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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