"Your Foremost Allegiance Must Be to the Constitution": Former NYPAAB President Jessica Zouetr Urges Senators Wehner and O'Neal to Rise Above Partisan Politics

The senate of Antigua and Barbuda began its Monday sitting with a moving moment — a letter from the immediate past president of the youth parliament was read aloud by the senate President. The letter urged two newly appointed senators who rose through the youth parliament ranks to let the constitution and the national interest guide every contribution they make and vote they cast.

A Letter that Set the Tone

Senate President Alincia Williams-Grant opened proceedings by reading a letter from Jessica Zouetr, the immediate past President of the National Youth Parliament Association of Antigua and Barbuda, addressed directly to the Upper House and specifically to Senators Jonathan Wehner and Shaquan O'Neal — two NYPAAB members who now hold seats in the nation's senate chamber.

"I chose to read this because I think it was fitting for it to replace what I would have said this morning," Williams-Grant said after completing the reading, describing Zouetr's words as precisely the message she had wanted to convey to the chamber at the start of the sitting.

A Full-Circle Moment for the Youth Parliament

Zouetr's letter framed the appointments of Wehner and O'Neal as a milestone not only for the two senators themselves but for the entire youth parliament movement and the young people of Antigua and Barbuda who look to it as proof that preparation, dedication, and service can lead to the highest institutions of national governance.

"Your appointments are a source of immense pride, not only for your families and communities, but also for the countless young people who now see that dedication, preparation and service can lead to the highest institutions of our nation," the letter stated.

Zouetr noted that the appointments mark another landmark for the NYPAAB, which had previously celebrated its first member to receive a senatorial appointment, Caleb Gardner in 2022. She also recalled the personal significance of the moment for her — having presided over sittings in which both Wehner and O'Neal participated during her tenure as president of the organisation.

A Clear and Principled Challenge

The letter's most striking passage was also its most pointed — a clear and principled reminder that the senate chamber demands something more than party loyalty from those who occupy its seats.

"As you take your seats in these hallowed halls, remember the principles that guided your training," Zouetr wrote. "Your foremost allegiance here must be to the constitution and to the people of Antigua and Barbuda. Let every contribution you make and every vote you cast be guided by the principles of fairness, sound judgment and the national interest rather than partisan considerations."

The message, delivered without naming parties or pointing fingers, carried unmistakable weight. Both senators arrived in the upper house through established party channels — Wehner as a UPP senator and O'Neal an ABLP senator. Zouetr's letter, read into the senate record on the day of a major sitting, is a public reminder that the senate's role as a revising chamber, a constitutional safeguard, and a voice of considered judgment depends on senators being willing to set aside partisan imperatives when the national interest demands it.

The Senate President's Endorsement

Senate President Alinica Williams-Grant made clear that her decision to open the sitting with Zouetr's letter was deliberate. Her words underlined the same message that every senator in the chamber serves the people of Antigua and Barbuda, and that the public expects nothing less than their best.

The sitting on which the letter was read was among the most substantive of the new parliamentary term, with the senate debating five bills and two motions.

For two senators who entered politics through a youth parliament built on the premise that governance should be principled and transparent, Zouetr's challenge — issued publicly and placed into the senate record — is one they will carry with them for the rest of their careers.