Speaker of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly, Lanien Blanchette, has revealed the troubling state of the parliamentary offices she inherited when she assumed the role in October 2022, underscoring the government’s continued efforts to modernise, professionalise, and strengthen the country’s legislative institutions.
During the October 17th sitting of the National Assembly, Speaker Blanchette detailed the poor condition in which the Speaker’s Office and the Office of the Clerk were found, citing years of neglect and mismanagement under previous leadership. She explained that upon taking up office, the Speaker’s quarters had been used as a storeroom for the Office of the Attorney General, lacked a functioning computer or internet access, and was furnished with broken and discarded equipment.
“My first day at the Office revealed that the Speaker’s Office itself was being utilised as a storeroom for the Office of the Attorney General,” Blanchette said. “There was no computer; however, one was later provided through the kind assistance of the Office of the Prime Minister. There was no internet access either. The premises contained old, broken furniture, which had to be replaced. It was pellucid that Parliament had not been treated as a national priority.”
She added that the Clerk of the House had no designated workspace and that the absence of proper office facilities led to major administrative lapses, including missing or incomplete parliamentary records. “There are no confirmed minutes of Parliament on file at the Parliament’s precincts for any sittings whatsoever prior to this administration taking place on August 14th, 2022,” she stated.
The Speaker’s revelations came as she responded to claims made by Dr. Timothy Harris, Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher 7, regarding alleged breaches of parliamentary procedure. Blanchette refuted those allegations, asserting that no Standing Orders were violated and that the confirmation of parliamentary minutes on October 6th, 2025, was done lawfully and transparently.
“To suggest that an illegality was committed in this regard is both dishonest and reckless,” she said. “The procedure employed was consistent with parliamentary standards and the principles of good governance maintained by this Parliament under my leadership.”
Blanchette outlined the decisive steps taken to restore order, professionalism, and transparency within the parliamentary system. These included refurbishing and furnishing dedicated workspaces for the Clerk and Deputy Clerk, reorganising the Speaker’s Office, and transforming the Parliamentary Lounge into a functional space frequently used by government departments and visiting delegations.
Beyond addressing inherited deficiencies, Speaker Blanchette said her leadership has focused on modernising the Parliament to meet 21st-century standards. Among the reforms implemented are the introduction of sign language interpreters during sittings, the banning of single-use plastics within the precincts of Parliament, and collaboration with ParlAmericas to digitise operations through the development of an AI-driven parliamentary management system.
She also announced plans for a public awareness campaign to educate citizens on parliamentary rules and procedures, aiming to improve understanding and transparency in governance.
“The progress made within this short period has been recognised both locally and internationally,” Blanchette said. “The Parliament of St. Christopher and Nevis has been commended for its advancements, modernisation, and the renewed culture of respect and decorum that now characterises its proceedings.”
The Speaker affirmed her continued commitment to ensuring that Parliament remains a symbol of integrity, accessibility, and democratic strength in the Federation.
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