Two motions will be moved in Parliament on Thursday, July 12 honouring the service to the National Assembly by former long-serving members Reepu Daman Persaud and Robert Corbin, according to the Order Paper for the session.
Prime Minister Sam Hinds is to pilot the motion recognizing Persaud’s service. Persaud served as a Member of Parliament from May 18, 1965 to May 2, 2006. During this period he functioned at various times as Chief Whip, Deputy Speaker, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Chairman of the Constitution Reform Select Committee and Leader of the House. He functioned in government as Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs.
Corbin’s motion is to be moved by MP Volda Lawrence. He served as an MP for 35 years and nine months in two separate periods: August 2, 1973 to October 28, 1997 and from April 1 2001 to January 15, 2012. During this period he functioned at various times as Parliamentary Secretary, Minister of State, Senior Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and on one occasion as the acting President of the republic.
While as an opposition MP he held several shadow portfolios and retired as Opposition Leader. The motion said in its recital that Corbin has formally “announced his retirement from National Electoral politics”.
