TUC agrees to new Senate representative

By Linda Straker

Raymond Roberts will be representing the Grenada Trades Union Council (TUC) in the Upper House of Parliament for the First Session of the Ninth Parliament, which is scheduled to open later in the month.

Whereas the Business Community and the Farmers organisations have re-elected the persons who represented them during the Eighth Parliament, the Trades Union Council will be represented by Raymond Roberts – the chief information officer of the Government Information Service – who is presently on vacation.

The two persons contending for the post were Chester Humphrey, who served for 23 years and Roberts, who serves on the executive body of the Council. Reports are that Humphrey withdrew his name as a nominee, leaving Roberts as the lone contender.


According to the Constitution, Grenada’s Senate or Upper House shall comprise 13 persons, seven of which must be recommended by the Prime Minister, three by the Leader of the Opposition and three shall be appointed by the Governor General, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister after the Prime Minister has consulted the organisations or interests which the Prime Minister considers the senators should be selected to represent.

Traditionally, the areas of Business, Farming and Labour are represented. The farming community retained Keith Clouden, who will be on his third term. He was elected by 19 of the 26 farming organisations who attended a meeting last Friday morning.

The business community agreed to retain Christopher DeAllie, who will be on his second term. He was retained after members of the Chamber of Commerce as well as the members of the Grenada Employers’ Federation and the Grenada Hotel and Tourism Association all nominated him as the choice.

“They nominated him unanimously because they were pleased with his representation and he accepted their desire to continue,” said Executive Director of the GCIC, Hazelann Hutchinson.

The naming of the three brings to seven the number of senators named to be in the Senate. Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell is to announce another three persons while Governor General, Sir Carlyle Glean, is to appoint the three persons who would normally be selected by the Leader of the Opposition. The February 19 General Elections resulted in a landslide victory for the New National Party, which resulted in no Parliamentary Opposition.