He's been a constant, visible figure at the National Assembly for the last decade but tonight the news out of Belmopan is that clerk Conrad Lewis has been fired. When we spoke to Lewis today he confirmed that he received his termination letter at six on Thursday evening following a House committee meeting in Belmopan. The letter, which was signed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate, informed Lewis that he was sacked with immediate effect.
Lewis was a former PUP candidate but was also regarded as professional in his work, and a friend to members on both sides of the House. Lewis took over as clerk of the house following the retirement of Jesus Ken in 2003. He had also served as deputy clerk under Ken for four years prior to that. While Lewis told us he was not surprised, he did express that he had believed that he had been accepted as a professional in the performance of his duties.
And who is going to take his place at the right hand of the Speaker of the House? 7NEWS has confirmed with a senior staffer in the Prime Minister’s office that the host of the Lik Road Talk Show, Herbert Panton will take up the job starting on Monday, October 20. But when we spoke to Panton this afternoon, we got another story; he told us that no formal offer has been made to him.
And while the gears may not be synchronized, they are moving in the same direction, because, notwithstanding Panton’s non-commital, multiple UDP sources inform us he has been given the nod and will be the new clerk.
