OPPOSITION Member of Parliament (MP), Dr. Nicolette Henry, on Wednesday, announced her exit from the National Assembly. Her removal makes way for Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform, Aubrey Norton, to take up a seat in Parliament and ultimately become Leader of the Opposition (LoO).

It was at the end of delivering her contribution to the 2022 budget debate, a ‘choked-up’ Dr. Henry asked to express gratitude to individuals who supported her during her time in the National Assembly.

“Allow me to place on record a few thank you(s) in light that this is my final budget presentation in this Honourable House,” she stated
She went on to say: “I am forever grateful to the people of this country who afforded me the opportunity to serve them, with professionalism, dignity and accountability.”

During her address, she thanked former President, David Granger; former Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon and AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan for their “unwaverig support” during her time in the House.

“I thank each and every member in this Honourable House for the commitment and dedication they bring each and every day, sometimes under the most difficult of circumstances. I thank my family who have always held my back and who have supported every decision I have made. And so today it is with those words that I part company and I conclude my contribution to Budget 2022,” she said. She exited the National Assembly shortly after.

Henry became an MP in 2015 as a member of the APNU+AFC Coalition.
Reports of Henry’s resignation from the National Assembly had been expected since earlier in the day, which was further solidified when, as the Assembly broke for lunch, Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, announced that Henry would not be making a contribution to the budget debate.

However, Henry appeared to have brokered a deal to at least be allowed to give her last presentation before resigning, and ended up returning to her seat when the sitting resumed. Nadir announced that she would be speaking after all.

It was since last Sunday that a source within the PNC/R party, had shared that Norton would be meeting with the opposition MPs to see who would be willing to resign voluntarily, so as to avoid having to forcibly remove someone.

A reshuffling of the makeup of the parliamentary opposition had been imminent for some time now, since the PNC/R had made it clear, weeks ago, that it would be lobbying for Norton to become the LoO, after Norton became leader of PNC/R in the December elections.

Moving towards that aim, Harmon resigned at LoO last month while also resigning as General-Secretary of the APNU.
Granger resigned as the Leader of the APNU, and Norton took up that post. Norton is expected to be sworn in shortly.