Former Government minister Kenny Lalsingh is the new President of the Senate.

Lalsingh who has been associated with no less than half a dozen political parties over the past 30 years replaces Senator Leslie Ann Seon who quit the post on Monday on the grounds that she was preparing for motherhood.

Seon addressed reporters at a press conference at the Ministerial Complex in the Botanical Gardens with the country’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell at her side. She told the media that she had made the “difficult decision” to resign from the top position in the Senate due to health problems.

She spoke of being pregnant and as such will have to pay particular attention to her health and follow the recommendations of her doctor. Seon stated that due to her age and health record, the doctor has advised her to reduce on workload and ease her stress as much as possible.

“This morning, it is with regret that I have to announce that I shall be demitting office of the President of the Senate....”, she said. “I say (this) with regret because I hate to quit without serving a full term, but this term that I must now serve takes priority”, she added.

The outgoing President of the Senate thanked Prime Minister Mitchell and his ruling New Nation Party (NNP) government for taking the “high risk” of taking a virtual “political non-entity” and drawing her into the political arena.

A barrister-at-law by profession, Seon recalled that at the time of her appointment at the end of the November 2003 general elections, the government clearly wanted someone to perform the role who will be fair and seen to be fair. These, she said were the operative words “on which I based my decisions to accept the role of President”.

Seon described the experience gained in the important chair in the Senate as “an extraordinary experience, a very challenging one” that provided her “with useful experiences and a sobering glimpse of the reality of politics”.

She said that she was very happy to have served Grenada since it was always the philosophy of her late father (broadcaster Leslie Seon) that whenever an opportunity arises to repay taxpayers who were responsible for facilitating her law studies then she had to seize the opportunity and be at their disposal.

The President described her major challenge in the short stint at the helm as learning and understanding the laws of parliament in order to ensure that she delivered rulings that were fair. She spoke of taking into consideration all the guidance she could have obtained before rendering these rulings.

Seon informed reporters that she did not see herself getting back into the political arena in the foreseeable future. Her appointment to the Senate took effect in November 2004, and she become the third female Senate President in the history of Grenada.

Prime Minister Mitchell said it was with great regret that he accepted the resignation of the President of the Senate. He felt that Seon distinguished herself at all times and made the country very proud of her, adding that he hoped this will not be the last of her at that level.