NO date has yet been set for Arima MP Pennelope Beckles to be sworn in as Leader of the Opposition, sources in President's House told Newsday on May 2.
However Beckles told Newsday via WhatsApp of the unanimous support of her parliamentary colleagues.
"All 12 signed," she affirmed, then adding the letter had been sent to President Christine Kangaloo.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar was sworn in on May 1 and members of her Cabinet will take their oath on May 3.
Beckles is the PNM's first-ever female opposition leader, and for the first time Trinidad and Tobago now has a female President, a female Prime Minister and a female Opposition Leader simultaneously.
After the PNM's landslide defeat in the April 28 general election, the PNM general council on April 30 at Balisier House, Port of Spain, chose to recommend to its MPs to support Beckles as opposition leader.
Before the general council meeting six MPs had signed their support for Beckles, and San Fernando West MP Brian Manning later told Newsday that the rest of the signatures were garnered over the course of the meeting.
The Constitution (section 83) says, "The President shall, if the person concerned is willing to be appointed, appoint as Leader of the Opposition the member of the House of Representatives who, in his judgement, is best able to command the support of the greatest number of members of the House of Representatives who do not support the Government.”
Addressing reporters on April 30, Beckles promised to propose any legislative amendments she saw fit in Parliament but not to be obstructionist, in a tacit admission that the new government has a special majority with which to pass new laws including those inconsistent with the TT Constitution.
The UNC won 26 seats, which with two from the TPP, gives the new government 28 seats which exactly meets the two-thirds requirements in the 41-seat legislature for a special majority.
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