St Kitts and Nevis: Lanien Blanchette has been officially elected the new Speaker of the House of Assembly of St Kitts and Nevis. During the opening of the first session of the National Assembly after the election, the members of the parliament elected the Speaker and deputy speaker.
Blanchette is the third female Speaker of the parliament, after Ada Mae Edward and Marcella Liburd.
According to Section 32 of The Constitution of St. Christopher and Nevis:
- After any general elections, the National Assembly should meet and elect the person for the position of the Speaker of the Assembly and then move to the further proceedings of the parliament.
- The Speaker will be elected by the members of the National Assembly and also by the non-members of the Cabinet or Parliamentary Secretaries or from among persons who are not members of the Assembly but who are qualified for election as a Representative or appointment as a Senator.”
Lanien Blanchette has been raised in the community of Saddlers and resided in her hometown Green Valley, Cayon, for the past 14 years. After earning her bachelor’s degree with honours in Criminal Justice in 2008, she completed her college at Monroe College, New York.
In 2017, she also obtained her Legal education certificate, and she was able to combine her training and experience from her internships at the Attorney General’s Chambers, Intellectual Property Office, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to serve her Country as a Crown Counsel in the Office of The Director of Public Prosecutions where she prosecuted criminal matters federally in the Magistrates and High Courts until June 2022.
Her personal mantra is to “finish the race strong, no matter how long or hard, slow, and steady at all times” She has also been serving as the founder and Lead Counsel at Blanchette Law Chambers.
The election of women to the Speaker of the house has marked that the government of the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis always ensured that gender equality is a priority and that women and youth are empowered to serve at the decision-making level.
