Legislative Assembly prepared for ‘takeover’
Marco Martins of Harneys presents sponsorship cheque to the Youth Parliamentarians
(CNS): Cayman Islands’ youth are poised to take over the Legislative Assembly. Students from nine local educational institutions are preparing for the ninth annual Youth Parliament, sponsored by law firm Harneys. The event is scheduled for Commonwealth Day, Monday, 14 March from 10:30am.
The young people represent Cayman Brac’s Layman E. Scott Sr High School as well as Cayman Prep & High School, Clifton Hunter High School, Grace Christian Academy, John Gray High School, St Ignatius Catholic School, Triple C School, the University College of the Cayman Islands and Wesleyan Christian Academy on Grand Cayman.
Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Zena Merren-Chin, said about the event, “We are grateful to Harneys for their generosity and support for this year’s Youth Parliament, which provides a great development opportunity for the students involved. The preparations help the students understand the functioning of the Cayman Islands’ legislature and get them ready to conduct legislative business on their own on the day of the Youth Parliament.”
The students were allowed to choose the debate topics and their roles in the parliament, including whether to serve on the government or opposition benches. Starting in February, they met Tuesdays and Saturdays to prepare for the debates. They will be tackling the topics of abortion and the public-transport system, Merren-Chin explained.
Overall, the event provides the participants with an invaluable experience, which includes debating and public speaking, she noted.
Marco Martins, managing partner of Harneys’ Cayman office, said, “Support of education and youth programmes is a key part of Harneys’ corporate social-responsibility activities, and we believe that investment in the development of our young people is critical to building a strong future for the Cayman Islands.”
The youth have received lectures from members of the Cayman Islands branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, which organises the event annually. Topics included the Legislative Assembly, and the roles of the Speaker, the Governor, the Clerk, the Serjeant-at-Arms, the Government and the Opposition as well as parliamentary practices and procedures.
