St Helena : St Helena's New Council Settles into Office
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Public Relations Information Office) 22.11.2009 (Article Archived on 20.12.2009)
The Council is settling into office and has held four informal meetings over the last seven days.
During the meetings the new Council was briefed on the key areas Government is working on and updated on the work that has been suggested for the coming months.
New Council Settles into Office
The Council is settling into office and has held four informal meetings over the last seven days.
During the meetings the new Council was briefed on the key areas Government is working on and updated on the work that has been suggested for the coming months. This was considered important since the new Council will need to advise on any new policy which might be needed to support this work. The new Committee Structure was also discussed and supported. The new structure provides for eight Council Committees, instead of five as was previously the case.
The new committees will include Access and Transport; Civil Society, Tourism and Leisure; Economy and Finance; Education and Employment; Health and Social Welfare; Home and International; Infrastructure and Utilities; and Natural Resources, Development and Environment.
Councillors also selected Mr Cyril Gunnell to represent the Island at this year’s Overseas Territories Consultative Council Meeting in London, where he will have the opportunity to meet British MP’s and delegates from other Overseas Territories. Councillor Gunnell will be able to discuss a range of issues from constitutional matters to human rights, citizenship and economic development. In addition, there will be opportunity to talk about the UK’s relationship with St Helena and how this can develop.
The Executive Council will continue to advise the Governor at the highest level. It will comprise the Chief Secretary, the Financial Secretary, the Attorney General and five Elected Members who may or may not be chairmen of committees. Under the new Constitution officials have lost the right to vote in both Executive and Legislative Council.
Committee chairs and Executive Council members will be elected on Friday of this week at the first formal meeting of the new Council. This is to take place at the Court House in Jamestown commencing at 10am. This meeting is to be open to the public and will be aired live via Radio St Helena. At this meeting Councillors will need to elect a Speaker of the House and also a Deputy Speaker which is a new requirement under the Constitution. Council will also elect Committee Chairmen and five members of the Executive Council. Three members of the Legislative Council will also be elected to serve on the Public Accounts Committee. The meeting will conclude with the usual adjournment debate where Councillors will be given the opportunity to raise various issues.
|
