Caribbean News
Government Pledges Support for Downtown Kingston Fire Victims
Kingston, Jamaica, March 5, 2025 – The Government will be assisting residents in downtown Kingston who were displaced by recent fires which destroyed their homes.
Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, made the commitment during his visit to the victims who reside in the constituencies of
Kingston Western and Kingston Central on Tuesday (March 4).
The areas toured included Love Lane in Fletcher’s Land, Kingston Western, and Fleet Street and Ladd Lane in Kingston Central.
“We are going to assist those persons… [and] we are going to try and do it as quickly as possible,” Prime Minister Holness assured.
He noted that the intervention, “is not something that can happen overnight”, pointing out that there are several steps that need to be taken before any substantial rebuilding or assistance can occur.
“Before we can assist in any meaningful way, other than the humanitarian assistance, which is already in train, [for] the building assistance, we have to determine the ownership of the land… and then we have to do some social investigation into the circumstances of the persons to determine the extent to which we can help,” Prime Minister Holness explained.
He emphasised that the Government cannot build on any property without knowing who owns it.
“We have to establish ownership. Once ownership is established, then we can determine what we can do, whether it is to replace a building or to give a grant,” Dr. Holness stated.
Addressing concerns regarding individuals living on land they do not own or have a certificate of title, the Prime Minister indicated that the Government would still offer support. However, it would be with building material or some other form of assistance.
“We understand from the [Members] of Parliament that the land situation is being assessed [to determine whether those persons] do have
titles and permission. So for those that don’t have the title, or they know who the owners are, then we will seek to get permission from the owners to build,” he further informed.
Dr. Holness also underscored the Government’s commitment to ensuring that property rights are respected throughout the process.
“The first thing is to establish who owns the land so that the Government… is not violating people’s property rights by going on to people’s land and doing whatever we choose… that’s not how we operate,” he said.
Prime Minister Holness was accompanied by the Members of Parliament, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, who represents Kingston Western, and Kingston Central’s representative, Donovan Williams.
Contact: Shanna K. Salmon
Release: JIS
Photo Captions
Header: Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, addresses residents of Kingston Central during Tuesday’s (March 4) tour of communities affected by a recent fire which displaced a number of householders. At right is Member of Parliament for the constituency and Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie.
1st insert: Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (centre), converses with a resident of Kingston Western during Tuesday’s (March 4) tour of communities that were affected by a recent fire. At right is Member of Parliament for the constituency and Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie.
2nd insert: Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (centre), views the remnants of a home in Kingston Central which was among structures in the area razed by a recent fire, during a visit on Tuesday (March 4). Accompanying Prime Minister Holness are Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie (right), and Kingston Central Member of Parliament, Donovan Williams (second right).
Rudranath Fraser Photos
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.
Caribbean News
Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts celebrate a night of wins, and take home a total of 16 titles at the 32nd Annual World Travel Awards
-
Caribbean News1 week agoHaitian Pushback Halts Controversial Constitution Rewrite — What’s Next?
-
TCI News1 week agoButch’s Island Chophouse Leads Beaches Turks & Caicos’ $150M Treasure Beach Expansion
-
Bahamas News1 week agoPAY STANDOFF: Prime Minister Cancels Talks as Unions Warn of More Protests
-
TCI News1 week agoTurks and Caicos Islands Government Invites Proposals for Affordable Housing Development
-
world news1 week agoA Tapestry of Peace: Humanity, Not Politics, Ends the War in Gaza
-
TCI News1 week agoOvercrowding at Grand Turk Prison Now 30% Above Capacity, NSC Warns
-
TCI News1 week agoPolice Patrols to be Strengthened as Force Adds Ten New Assets
-
TCI News1 week agoMinister Praises Educators as “Architects of the Future” on World Teachers’ Day