pREsIdENT OF ThE sENATE

WHO CAN BE PRESIDENT Of THE SENATE?

When the Senate first meets after a general election and before it begins any other business, it has to elect a Senator to be President of the Senate. The President of the Senate cannot be a minister or Parliamentary Secretary.

WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBIlITIES Of THE PRESIDENT Of THE SENATE?

aside from being in charge of the Senate and its sittings the President of the Senate also acts as Chairman of Committees of the whole Senate. he or she interprets the Standing orders and has the power to control the conduct of business in all matters not provided for in the Standing orders.

The President of the Senate also acts temporarily as President of the republic of Trinidad and Tobago when the President is unable to perform his/her duties of President because of his/her absence from Trinidad and Tobago or because of illness.

dr. wahid Ali

Dr. Wahid Ali was born on June 27, 1928 at Xeres Road, Chaguanas and died on August 9, 2008. He assumed the office of the President of the Senate on August 6, 1971, an office he held until January 12, 1987. He was the second President of the Senate after Sen. the Hon. J. Hamilton Maurice and served in the third Independent Parliament and the first and second Republican Parliaments. During his tenure as President of the Senate Dr. Ali served as Acting President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on twenty occasions between 1977 and 1986. His Parliamentary career began in 1970 when he was first appointed a Senator. As President of the Senate, Dr. Ali served as the Joint President of the Trinidad and Tobago Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and Chairman of several Sessional Select Committees of Parliament.

ms. Christine Kangaloo is an alumna of the University of the West indies and the hugh Wooding law School. She is an attorney-at-law by profession, having been admitted into practice in the year 1985, and was attached to the southern legal team of hobsons.

ms. Kangaloo was appointed an opposition Senator in 2001 (6th Parliament) and Vice-President of the Senate in 2002 (7th Parliament). In the 8th Parliament, she was appointed minister in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Social delivery in october 2002 and from may 2005 to november 2007, held the portfolio of minister of legal affairs. in november 2007, following the general election in which she was elected to the house of representatives, ms. Kangaloo was appointed minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary education. ms. Kangaloo was appointed President of the Senate on September 23, 2015.

Presidents

Of

The Senate

(1961 – P resen T )

MR. J. HAMILTON MAURICE

DR. WAHID ALI

MR. MICHAEL WILLIAMS

MR. EMMANUEL CARTER

MR. GANACE RAMDIAL

DR. LINDA BABOOLAL

MR. DANNy MONTANO

MR. TIMOTHy HAMEL-SMITH

MRS. RAzIAH AHMED

MRS. CHRISTINE KANGALOO

Term Served: 1961 – 1971

Date Elected: 29 December 1961

Term Served: 1971 – 1986 Date Elected: 18 June 1971

Term Served: 1987 – 1990 Date Elected: 12 January 1987

Term Served: 1990 – 1995 Date Elected: 12 March 1990

Term Served: 1995 – 2002

Date Elected: 27 November 1995 Date Elected: 12 January 2001

Term Served: 2002 – 2007

Date Elected: 5 April 2002

Date Elected: 17 October 2002

Term Served: 2007 – 2010 Date Elected: 17 December 2007

Term Served: 2010 – 2015 Date Elected: 18 June 2010

Date Elected: 3 February 2015 Term Served: 2015

Date Elected: 23 September 2015 Term Served: 2015 - Present