Marcella Liburd is guest speaker at St Lucia Labour Party conference on Oct 13

Deputy Political Leader of the St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP), Hon Marcella Liburd is the guest speaker at the Annual Conference of the St Lucia Labour Party (SLP).

Liburd, the SKNLP's first female deputy political leader has been invited to address officials, delegates and invited guests at the Annual Conference of Delegates.

The Open (public) Session of conference will be held on Sunday, 13th October, at the Stanley Jon Odlum Secondary School and the Closed (business) Session will follow on Sunday 20 October.

The former Cabinet Minister, former Deputy Speaker and Speaker of the National Assembly of St. Kitts and Nevis has served in various ministerial positions including Acting Prime Minister.

Born on 10 July 1953 in Basseterre, St Kitts, St. Kitts and Nevis to Anne Eliza (née Martin) and Clement Liburd, Liburd after attending the Basseterre Girls School and the Basseterre High School, earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of the West Indies in 1976.

Liburd returned from abroad and began teaching at the Basseterre High School and the Cayon High School. She returned to her own studies, obtaining a Bachelor of Law with honours in 1992 from the Norman Manley Law School (NMLS) where she continued her education, earning a Legal Education Certificate from NMLS in 1994.

After Liburd's admission as a barrister and solicitor for the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in 1994, she began a political career. She was appointed as Secretary of the St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) in 1997. In 2004, she became Speaker of the National Assembly. Liburd served until 2008, when she ran as a candidate for St Christopher 2 (Central Basseterre) and was elected as a Member of Parliament.

Liburd has drafted legislation which includes the Domestic Violence Act and Equal Pay Act. She has served as the Minister of Health, Social Services, Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs, as well as Acting Prime Minister.

In 2011, Liburd was featured in an exhibit promoted by various departments of the Government of St Kitts and Nevis to highlight prominent women's accomplishments.

In 2013, Liburd became the first woman elected as Chair of the Labour Party at its 81st National Conference and was subsequently elected Deputy Political Leader in 2017.

Political Leader of the St Lucia Labour Party, Hon Philip J. Pierre is expected to use this year’s Political Leader’s address, to conference, to rally Labour members and supporters to continue the important work of preparing for General Elections constitutionally due in 2021.