What is the state of relations between parliaments and citizens in the Caribbean region? How is this relationship evolving? What do citizens expect from their representatives and their parliament? And, crucially, are parliaments delivering on these expectations?
On Monday 26 November, the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago in collaboration with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will host a two day Regional Workshop at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad where the focus will be on “Developing good practice in political representation and constituency work in the Caribbean Region.”
The workshop is designed to help MPs to find practical ways of improving the way they perform their representative role. It will also help them to understand and manage expectations of voters in terms of service and seek to find insights that help MPs do their jobs within the national parliament.
Parliamentarians from several countries in the English-speaking Caribbean are expected to take part in the proceedings, giving a regional perspective to the issues being considered. Four Government, two Opposition MPs and 1 Independent Senator will represent the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago at the workshop. They are the Hon. Clifton DeCoteau, MP, Moruga/Tableland, the Hon Ramona Ramdial, MP, Couva North, the Hon Nizam Baksh MP, Naparima and the Hon. Rudranath Indarsingh , MP, Couva South. The Opposition members are Ms. Alicia Hospedales MP, Arouca/Maloney and Senator Fitzgerald Hinds. Senator Corinne Baptiste Mc Knight will represent the Independent bench.
Additional information on the upcoming workshop can be found on the IPU’s website : www.ipu.org