Holness pledges accountability framework as 84 lawmakers sworn in
Published:Friday | September 19, 2025 | 12:14 AMLivern Barrett/Senior Staff Reporter
The process to formally introduce job descriptions for Jamaica’s lawmakers will be “advanced” during this new five-year term of the Parliament, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has said.
All 84 lawmakers – 63 members of parliament and 21 senators – were sworn in during separate sittings of both Houses of Parliament at Gordon House on Thursday, marking the start of the new parliamentary term.
Juliet Holness, the member of parliament (MP) for St Andrew East Rural, was returned as Speaker of the House of Representatives despite renewed concerns by the parliamentary Opposition. St James Central MP Heroy Clarke was appointed deputy Speaker.
Job descriptions for parliamentarians, including members of the political executive, were first tabled in Parliament on June 20, 2023.
Holness, who was speaking in Parliament after the swearing-in, said the new policy would create a framework to measure performance, improve accountability, and strengthen public trust in institutions.
“This is not about restricting members. It is about elevating the standards of service. It is about ensuring that every seat in this House is not just occupied but [is] actively contributing to Jamaica’s progress,” he said.
“This reform will make clear what the public rightly expects its elected representatives to do ... regular attendance and active participation in sittings and committees, diligent oversight of ministries and agencies, transparent and ethical use of public resources, and continuous visible engagement with constituents.”
The announcement by the prime minister is an indication that the Government wants to see parliamentary committees meeting regularly, explained Floyd Green, the new leader of government business in the House of Representatives.
“Because that gives members a chance to participate, ... look at how policies are being implemented by the technical people across the various ministries,” Green said during an interview with The Gleaner.
HAND OF COOPERATION
The new House leader said that ensuring that parliamentary committees are holding regular meetings and that members are participating will be among the things he would focus on.
The parliamentary Opposition signalled that it was ready to “extend the hand of cooperation” to the Government but cautioned that unity could not be achieved by platitudes or empty words.
“One hand can’t clap,” said Opposition Leader Mark Golding. “It is important, if we want to build consensus around important topics, that there be some action, some actual tangible efforts to achieve consensus.”
He also urged the prime minister to return chairmanship of all parliamentary committees to the Opposition, a practice that was started in 2007 by then head of government Bruce Golding and continued by successive administrations before it ended in 2020.
“I think it is necessary for there to be more accountability for what the executive is or isn’t doing,” Golding said, arguing that appointing government members to chair these committees was not acceptable.
Tom Tavares-Finson was returned as president of the Senate, with Charles Sinclair as his deputy.