Newly elected Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir expects standards to be raised in relation to how Members of Parliament operate in and out of the House, and how they interact with each other.
“I expect that we will raise the bar in terms of how we operate, not only in Parliament but in the entire country. For me, our level of civility, understanding and decency has a bit to be desired. And I would like for us to raise that bar a bit so that we can show the next generation – the generation that actually came after me – that we can live up to international best standards for democracy, respect for humanity,” he told media operatives today at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).
He added: “We are not dealing with little crybabies, we’re dealing with mature human beings who represent over 460,000 people who voted.”
He said that every Member of Parliament (MP) must be given the opportunity to perform his or her functions in the House, and that they must be treated with respect.
Nadir was appointed Speaker this morning. He was nominated by the Prime Minister, Mark Phillips. His nomination was seconded by the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira.
The Leader of the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), Lennox Shuman was appointed Deputy Speaker.
