Deputy clerk resigns amid ‘retaliatory’ environment at Parliament

Describing the treatment he faced during his two-year tenure in office as “retaliatory”, former Deputy Clerk to the Houses of Parliament Christopher Cowan has listed a series of concerns among the reasons for his resignation with immediate effect yesterday.

Cowan’s five-page letter to Speaker of the House of Representatives Juliet Holness described a “contentious” environment in which he said he was made to operate, the removal and denial of privileges, as well as the “retaliatory approach” of Clerk to the Houses Colleen Lowe.

The resignation letter, obtained by The Gleaner, outlines numerous occasions when he said his office and position had been “undermined” following differing opinions on matters and questions about process and procedure.