Randy Baltimore will be sworn in as Member of Parliament for St. Philip’s North on Monday following his victory in the March 16 by-election, Director General of Communications in the Prime Minister’s Office Maurice Merchant said Wednesday.
Speaking during the post-Cabinet media briefing, Merchant said Baltimore has already been appointed chairman of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHAPA) and will continue to serve as chairman of the Antigua and Barbuda Transport Board, with further appointments expected to be announced in the coming days.
Merchant said Baltimore was invited to Cabinet following his win, where he was welcomed by ministers and participated in discussions on development priorities for the constituency, including housing, infrastructure and community enhancement.
“Mr. Baltimore, who secured an overwhelming victory … was applauded … for earning the strong confidence and support of the people of St. Philip’s North,” Merchant said.
He said the engagement signaled “the beginning of a collaborative approach to advancing the social and economic priorities of that constituency.”
Prime Minister Gaston Browne also congratulated Baltimore and expressed confidence in his ability to contribute to national development and represent his constituents, Merchant said.
The Cabinet spokesman added that the by-election result reflected continued public support for the administration’s work.
“It did demonstrate that the people of St. Philip’s North saw the work that the Gaston Browne administration has been doing and rewarded them for that,” Merchant said.
Parliament is scheduled to convene Monday, when Baltimore is expected to take the oath of office as the new representative for St. Philip’s North.
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He should have a full ministry, either lands or energy sector including public utilities, shadowing former representative yearwood who held some substantive ministries, his successor must not be demoted to some abstract chairing position of boards of statutory corporations.
Corporate governance frameworks often recommend that chairpersons should be independent outsiders, not politicians, to ensure objective leadership. The habit of using elected Members of Parliament to cheer Statutory Boards doesn’t send the right message. An MP acting as chairman will face conflicts between their duty to their constituents, their party, and their fiduciary duty to the public body. This can create situations where an MP is effectively overseeing themselves.