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Sir Gerald WattOn Monday, Sir Gerald Watt the Speaker of the House will bid farewell.
In September, news broke that Sir Gerald would be stepping down after more than a decade at the helm.
The 85-year-old has had a long and distinguished career in public service, serving in several key positions.
He first served as a Senator from 1967 to 1971 and was elected to the House of Representatives from 1971 to 1975, serving as Minister for Public Utilities and Communications (1971-1973), and then as Attorney General and Minister for Legal Affairs and Labour (1974-1975).
Sir Gerald was elevated to the position of Queen’s Counsel in November 1997 and has been Head of Chambers and senior partner in the law firm Watt, Dorsett & Company.
He also served as President of the Antigua and Barbuda Bar Association (ABBA) from 1983 to 1986.
With the seat vacant, an election for a new Speaker will take place on Monday.
Initial reports point to former Senator Osbert Frederick taking up that role.
Senator Frederick has had a four-decade career in the education sector and has been a member of the Upper House of Parliament since 2014, having previously served as a Senator from 2007 to 2009.
A moment of silence will also be held during Monday’s sitting for the late MP Asot Michael who was murdered earlier this month at his Dry Hill home.
Two short bills are on the Public Business agenda as well.
The Upper House will meet the following day when Senator Michael Joseph will make his maiden statement, and Senator Govia will assume the post of Leader of Government Business in the Senate.
The Throne Speech will then take place on November 28th, budget presentation on December 5th and budget debate on December 10th.
Sir Gerald, all the world’s a stage and everyone of us, as cast members, has a role to play. We have our entrances and our exits. The time will come for each cast member to graciously step down to allow for others, hopefully equal to the task, to replace you. Sir Gerald I wish to highly commend you for the great legacy you are leaving behind, so many teachable moments, your pragmatic, no-nonsence approach in direction the procedures of our Parliament, your charm and wit. I will certainly miss you as our Speaker. I will forever remember, with a broad grim, the gentle reminders offered to your ghetto- bred predecessor, for example, that when one is pushing next sixty (and we know that she has long passed that!) YOU ARE NO SPRING CHICKEN.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 In her neck of the woods ,Age is not a badge of honour, so we dump our aged at the SLBMC, FIENNES INSITUTE, CLARE VIEW HOSPITAL and never look back. Thanks for reminding our ghetto governor-general aspirant that qualifications for positions at level demand more than a wig/weave and cheap lipstick daubed over a filthy, muckle-mooitj DOES NOT A LADY MAKE! A HOG IS JUST A HOG!
Once again, thank you very kindly for kind and effective stewardship as Speaker of The House in Antigua and Barbuda