Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Grenada Co-operative Nutmeg Association (GCNA), Leo Cato will become the new Speaker in the Houses of Parliament.
A high-level source told THE NEW TODAY that Cato who is from the rural St. Andrew North-east constituency was approached a few weeks ago by new Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell to take on the responsibility in Parliament and he agreed only a few days ago to accept the position.
“I understand that he told (PM) Dickon Mitchell give him some time to think about it and he got back to the PM and told him that he will give the job a try,” said the source.
Cato is replacing former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and past Executive member of the Grenada Union of Teachers (GUT), Michael Pierre in the position.
The source said that the incoming House Speaker, a former public officer in the Ministry of Education in the area of Information Technology (IT) , was the overwhelming favourite for the job among a number of top members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Cato was short-listed by Congress to contest the St Andrew North-east seat held by Kate Lewis-Peters, the former Youth Minister in the defeated New National Party (NNP) administration but the nod was eventually given to former Senator Dr. Tessa St Cyr.
THE NEW TODAY understands that the first sitting of Parliament since the June 23 general election will most likely take place in the first week in September.
A Congress official said that Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell was giving thought to having the sitting towards the end of this month but was forced to delay it due to the fact that all sectoral interest groups have not submitted the names of their representatives to serve in the Senate.
The farmers are due to meet today to vote on the person to sit in the Upper House of Parliament.
The outgoing Senator for Agriculture, Roderick Sinclair is the overwhelming favourite to return to Parliament but former President of the Grenada Association of Poultry Producers (GAPP), Jason Phillip has announced his intention to put in a challenge for the post.
Former Grenada Ambassador to the Organisation of American States (OAS), Dr. Dessima Williams was presented with her papers about two weeks ago by Governor General Dame Cecile La Grenade to serve as President of the Senate.
The NDC controls 9 of the fifteen seats in Parliament following its defeat of Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell and his NNP outfit at the polls some two months ago.